Spokane Al

Thailand Part VIII

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

In coming back to Thailand I, once again, had the opportunity to enjoy the amazing fruits and foods offered by the gentle people of this country. I previously discussed the wonderful bananas and the sweetness in them that is well beyond the traditional versions that we enjoy in the USA.

The best place to sample the many flavors, textures and tastes is by heading to the local market. Each Monday and Thursday evening the local market, which was within walking distance, comes alive.

So my process is to gather my strength . . .

. . . and then head to the market.

This gentleman is offering a variety of sweet desserts, all wrapped in biodegradable banana leaves.

This lady, with her variety of fish, stakes out her permanent market location.

There is always a huge number of main dishes available, in a variety of mild to extremely, smoke-coming-out-the-ears spicy.

This is the smoothie lady. She fixed me one using a number of her fresh fruits including mango, papaya, watermelon and cantaloupe. It was refreshing and delicious and cost me about seventy five cents.

This gentleman uses his specially designed machine to squeeze out the sweet, juicy goodness from sugar cane that was just picked that morning.

My wife and sister-in-law arrive at a decision on the purchase of several amazingly tasty mangoes.

While in Thailand, one can never have too many hot peppers.

I could not pass showing another photo of the amazing bananas.

The fresh flower lady offers a wide range of sweet smelling, attractive flower arrangements.

The market always offers a wide range and large number of in-season vegetables.

I love this BBQed pork-on-a-stick, especially when combined with sticky rice.

Another purchase is made to add to our growing number of bags of edibles.

I threatened to pout unless my wife bought me some fresh pineapple so she acquiesced.

We then made our way back home to enjoy our many purchases.

Life has been good on this visit to Thailand.

Thank you for visiting.

Thailand Part VII

2011-11-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

I originally visited Thailand back in 1970, and also stayed during parts of 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975. I was stationed at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base during these periods as a member of the US Air Force.

Bob is an old, old friend who has since become an ex-pat and built himself an amazing home in the northern part of Thailand. He drove down to stay for a couple of days and visit and reminisce.

Bob has been a great friend for many decades and remains the same guy that I remember. Bob has a special ability to bond with everyone he meets and after a few short minutes together he feels like a best friend. I am certain that everyone who meets Bob feels the same.

We could not pass up the photo opportunity to capture the moment with an anatomically correct elephant statue.

We had last seen Bob in 1988, which was a couple of decades before his magnificent wife passed away much, much too early.

We visited for several days and we had great conversations over beers and dinners. We stayed at a local hotel during his visit which was across the street from a great lake which provided a terrific running trail that circled the entire body of water. P.S. The cost of the hotel was about $30 per night.

We also visited Khao Yai National Park together, which I had discussed in a previous post.

One of Bob's goals was to visit the old base where we both were stationed. Since it had been 36 years since we were last there, we were expecting significant changes combined with a reduced memory.

We managed to find the old concrete barracks where we lived,

. . . the swimming pool where we spent many hours during our off time . . .

and the old Base Exchange where we had purchased our essentials.

We also traveled the route that the local bus took us each day. We revisited a number of old downtown haunts that frankly, after several decades, were beginning to show their age.

It was a great visit and a terrific trip down memory lane.

Thank you for reading.

Thailand Part VI

2011-11-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

During our Thailand visit we took a day trip to Khao Yai National Park, a magnificent destination in the jungled mountains of central Thailand. After a drive of a couple of hours we arrived in the park. The park offers scenic turnoffs as well as camping and hiking.

After stopping for an amazing view we found a nice place for a picnic and the family laid out a great spread.

The beautiful bright dish is local fruit. And while the coloring is very dramatic, the flavor and taste is a bit subdued and makes for a nice dessert.

I was a bit weary from the road trip and laid down on a mat with my legs and feet on the soft grass.

It was at this point I encountered a couple of unexpected friends: dry land leeches. One attached itself to my upper right arm and began having lunch at my expense. Leeches secrete an enzyme that keeps the blood from clotting, and when they gotten their fill, they drop from the host. The process is absolutely painless and I did not realize he (actually a leech is a Hermaphrodite) was there until I noticed what I thought was a slug on my arm.

And while this is not my video, it pretty much replicates my experience with this wonderful wildlife.

A friend who was visiting pulled out his trusty first aid kit and fixed me up. Later I noticed, via my blood stained shorts, that a second leech had gotten hold of my upper leg. Once again, our friend provided the necessary medical attention and we were on our way.

We later walked down to a magnificent waterfall and enjoyed the view.

As we headed out of the park, we encountered a number of monkeys on the side of the road. They have apparently figured out that cars = potential food and as a result, keep sharp eyes out for snacks.

There were also signs announcing elephant and cobra crossings, but they must have also been at lunch because we did not encounter either.

Thanks for visiting.

Thailand Part V

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Thao Suranari or Lady Mo was the wife of the deputy governor of Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat); a stronghold for Siamese control over its Laotian vassals at the time of the Vientiane King Anouvong's attack on Korat in 1826. Anouvong's forces seized the town and evacuated the town's inhabitants. Lady Mo is credited as the leader who saved the city by harassing the invading force. Varying stories describe her plot of getting the invading soldiers drunk, or leading a rebellion of captured prisoners on the route back to Vientiane. Consequently Lao troops were dispersed, and forced to retreat quickly.

As a result Lady Mo continues to be an extremely revered symbol for the Thai people and no visit to the city is complete without a pilgrimage to her statue in the city square. This visit is comprised of a symbolic gift in the form of flowers and incense, and perhaps the purchase of a bottle of oil to refill the reserves that keep the small fires burning that are used to light the incense of those who visit.

One makes a purchase of the flowers incense and oil before moving to the first set of stairs. There everyone takes leave of their shoes before heading upward.

The next stop is the oil lit fire where one lights his/her incense, and moves to the prayer mats in front and below Lady Mo's statue to drop to their knees and offer a prayer of thanksgiving, appreciation or perhaps makes a plea for help.

Then the visitor moves to the next set of stairs which will lead up to the Lady's statue. As he/she walks closer they insert their incense sticks into the sand fill container which contains the incense of the multitudes who came before them. They hang their flower offerings on the waiting hooks before approaching the statue of Lady Mo.

Here they offer another small prayer and then take the postage stamped size of gold foil and rub in on the Lady's statue where it joins eons of previous offerings.

They finish by making the circle back onward and down to where the footwear was left.

The small, simple ceremony increased my already growing reverence for the gentle Thai people.

Thank you for visiting.

Thailand Part IV

2011-11-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

During our visit we stayed in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), Thailand. Nakhon Ratchasima
(Korat) is located in the central part of Thailand. This central portion of the country has a prevalent farming population with a wide range of fruits, vegetables and other crops grown and harvested.

The city of Korat is now the third largest city in Thailand, and to the uninitiated the center is organized chaos. Streets are filled with cars, trucks and motor scooters and the goal of each seems to be to find just a small opening and blast through ahead of the rest. When that opening occurs one must hit the gas and pass, even though cars and motor scooters continue to approach from the opposite direction. Each driver assumes that the other will move to the side and the system seems to work.

Everyone also has a dog or three. Back those many years ago, the dogs were totally on their own and most looked a lot worse for wear. Today virtually all the dogs seem very healthy and the Thai people are accepting them as pets, and feeding and caring for them.

A couple of family members took us to visit a local shopping mall. From the outside it looks like the typical American Mall. However, as soon as we entered the parking garage I encountered the well known Thai ingenuity that I had forgotten.

The garage offers nose to nose parking, however, there are substantially more cars than parking spaces. The solution is for attendants to guide visitors into parallel spots that seem to block the other, traditional parking. Here is where the ingenuity comes into play.

When parallel parking, there is always one spot open. Additionally, the drivers leave their cars in neutral with the parking brake off. Then when someone who is blocked-in returns to fetch his/her car, the attendant (or if that person is not available then the driver wanting to leave will perform the task) will simply push the parallel parked cars one way or the other to open a space.

The car and driver departs, and the attendant pushes the cars back to help the next person leaving or the person searching for that open parking spot.

Visiting other parking garages throughout the country generated the same solution to resolve the parking crunch.

Thank you for visiting.

Thailand Part III

2011-11-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

During our visit my wife's close knit family and I went out for dinner at a local open air restaurant. The main dish involved cooking different meats and vegetables over a fire on the table and then dipping the cooked dishes in a variety of spices and sauces. We had a wonderful time laughing and sharing. Because although I may understand only a small bit of the language, if you are looking for silly sophmore humor - I am your guy.

Every meal brings new and amazing combinations of flavors. Some of firey hot and others sweet or tart and still others present a combination of all of the above. I thoroughly enjoyed trying them all and my Thai family seemed to take great joy in watching my face as I taste tested the latest offerings placed in front of me.

This was my dessert and is absolutely mouth watering delicious. It is a light, sweet custard on sticky rice and wrapped in the leaf from a banana tree (the leaf is merely there for packaging and not to eat). I was totally captivated by its amazing taste.

On another evening we made a trip to night market. This shopping environment is giantic and offers everything from clothing, wood carvings, tools, motorcycles, tattoos to fruits, fish, meat and vegetables. It is immense and is packed. The market is open every evening to entice people who work during the day and seems to be doing a booming business.

The purpose of this particular event was to raise money for a roof on a new temple addition. You can see the posts through the darkness below.

Here we are at an interesting food both where the entrees are a variety of different bugs, all cooked via a multitude of styles. There were offerings to meet even the most discriminating of palates. Although my wife seems very curious with the choices, her interest was not sufficient enough to generate a desire to taste any of the treats.

One of my nieces did convince me to try a couple of fried grasshoppers. Each one was cooked in a different set of spices and they were very tasty.

The challenge of traveling more than half way around the world is that one's body clock is totally confused. No matter what time we headed to bed, we were both wide awake at two to three am each morning. However that trip to the market seems to have finally slapped our internal clocks silly and slammed them into the correct time zone.

Thank you for visiting.

Thailand Part II

2011-11-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

I last visited Thailand in 1975, when, as a member of the US Air Force, I was a goofy twenty something year old with little appreciation for much that did not directly affect me and a less than admirable perspective on life.

I had meet my wife a few years earlier, and, if truth be told, my goal was to bring the USA with me in everywhere I visited. This means, that while living in Thailand, I did my best to bring and replicate my American standards, comforts and stuff.

If I could engage in a conversation with that shallow minded person I would attempt to shake him and get him to open his eyes, mind and heart a bit more. I would tell him that there is more to life than laying about listening to the latest rock and roll album while under the spell of the powerful omnipresent vegetative offerings of that country.

I would encourage him to leave his American shackles behind when he visited the gentle, giving people of Thailand. And I would hope that his memories were vast, moving and life impacting.

When my wife brought up the idea of visiting Thailand once more, I viewed this trip as more of an obligation and a duty and one that I could tough through for three weeks. Almost immediately all expectations changed and I found myself constantly moved and touched by my wife's family and often, when reviewing the day I felt my eyes welling up with tears along with a giant lump in my throat. I must be getting soft and overly emotional in my old age.

It is hard to explain the Thai culture and it is one that I suspect I never really appreciated as that young, goofy 20 something year old. We were met by my wife's family and they truly and immediately opened their hearts and arms to us. Her sister has two beautiful daughters in their early 30s with partners and they are gentle young people who are constantly doing small things for us, often without us even knowing. They gracefully embraced us into their lives and enjoyed taking us here and there.

They were constantly concerned for my comfort, health and happiness. The area where we are staying was settled a couple of generations ago by my wife's family and as a result, it continues to be full of her life long relatives and friends.

I continued to be touched by the gentle nature of this culture and did my best to give as much or more than I got. The language problems were a bit frustrating in that I longed to have deeper conversations with my wife's family and I suspected she maybe have gotten a bit worn down by serving as my translator. I did my best to visit her sister's children and exchange silly, light hearted discussions with my limited Thai. Everyone had a number of great laughs as my wife does her best to translate and sometimes during the effort spoke English to the Thai person and Thai to me.

Here are my sister-in-law and my wife.

Thank you for visiting.

Thailand Revisited

2011-11-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

After 36 years away from the magnificent county of Thailand, I accompanied my wife to a visit of her homeland. We, as you probably expect, have been planning the logistics of this visit for a number of months, and as the timeline crept down, it still continued to seem a bit unreal and far off.

I will probably spend the next several posts covering our trip and will begin with our departure from the good old USA.

The first leg of our flight departed Spokane, WA for San Francisco, CA on October 12 at 5:45 in the morning. It was a short, uneventful two hour hop to San Fran. After a three hour layover, which allowed us to regain our sea legs, we were soon boarded on a United Airlines Boeing 747. I had upgraded our seats to Economy Plus which provided a substantial amount of additional legroom. This turned out to be a smart move.

Our steed awaits.

We were soon in the air on an almost 12 hour leg towards Tokyo, Japan. I had loaded up my trusty Kindle with a number of books for the trip and was ready to read. However, the airline had a fairly large big screen television and with a couple of mediocre movies and minor television shows to watch I spend most of my time gazing at the screen and taking a number of naps.

I must comment that I am a pretty easy guy to satisfy when it comes to preparing food. My tastes are definitely less than discriminating and I am more excited about quantity rather than quality. That said the food on the entire flight was practically inedible. The airline's meals were absolutely horrible.

After reaching Tokyo, we were in for a three hour layover and then were off to Bangkok, Thailand. I found it interesting that everyone who came off the plane, and after the prescribed layover, would be getting back on the airplane were routed down a long walkway. We then made a right turn and proceeded though a full security check before heading back on a parallel walkway to our airplane. I guess it is better safe than sorry. And the security check burned up another thirty minutes or so.

Soon we were back on the airplane via a six and a half hour flight towards Bangkok. Perspective is everything and after the previous 12 hour leg, this portion seemed to be relatively short.

Before we knew we were on our final approach into the Land of Smiles, and with swollen ankles and feet and bodies and minds completely confused over the massive number of time zone changes we have once again returned to Thailand.

Thank you for visiting.

New Balance Minimus Road Shoe Review

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have beenwearing the New Balance Minimus Road Shoe for much of 2011 and decided it wastime to provide a bit of a review.

Afterrunning in Nike Free shoes during my shorter brick runs and sprint triathlons,I moved to the Saucony ProGrid Kinvara in an effort to evolve (or devolve)to a more minimal shoe. While I likedthe Nike Frees, they seemed to provide a bit too much cushioning for my taste. It seemed that their soft, cushioned solesgenerated a waste of energy with stride.

The Kinvarawas an improvement in that the soles felt a bit more natural and less padded, however,I did not care for the upper part of the shoe. It always seemed just a bit too loose and felt as if my foot kind offloating around in it.

Each ofthese shoes required me to change my form just a bit. No longer could I slap my foot down on thepavement and depend on the shoe’s cushioning to absorb the pounding. I became closer to a true fore foot runnerand began bending my knees just a bit more with each step. My running became quieter and I seem to nowengage more of all the muscles in each leg. In prior years my leg muscles seemed to wear down quicker. Now it feels as if I have more leg strengthin the latter portions of longer runs or races.

With thatprogress my next move was to give the New Balance Minimus Road Shoe a try. I immediately liked the feel of these shoesin that they seemed to become a more integral part of my feet. The tops were form fitted to my feet withoutfeeling overly tight and constricting. Theyoffer very little cushioning so again, form is critical.

I run andrace 100 percent on roads and continue to use these shoes on all of my runs andhave raced a ten miler and a couple of half marathons in them with no illeffects. At this point I am a bit leeryof going farther, but I think that is related more to my tender feet than theshoes. I have often developed sorenessin my feet during long runs, no matter what model shoe I wore.

During thefirst two weeks of October I raced in half marathons on consecutive weekendsand my feet felt pretty good. My secondhalf marathon was significantly faster than the first, although in fulldisclosure, the course was much easier. Aftereach race I experienced no ill effects, although my calves are a bit sore laterin the day for a few hours after each race. I attribute that to the continual adaptation of my running style.

Overall, Iam very happy with these shoes. Theyseem to wear just as well as other running shoes, provide a solid fit, and theirlight weight makes me feel faster, even if I am not.

I willcontinue to look to other minimal shoe options, but for now will stick with theNew Balance Minimus Road Shoe.

Thank youfor visiting.

Embrace Your Weirdness

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Seth Godin recentlypublished his latest book titled, We Are All Weird. Mr. Godin is a kind of marketing, freethinking, consultant guru and excels at getting people, small businesses andcorporations into thinking out of the box when it comes to generating newcustomers and business. He embraces allthat technology and creativity have to offer.

His latestbook offers the thought that society is no longer this giant, hygienic, onesize fits all world, and marketing people can no longer craft a single message thatwill immediately enamor us towards their latest, greatest product to race outto lay down our still warm credit card for their stuff.

Mr. Godingenerates the premise that we often members of our own, albeit weirdtribes of other like-minded folk, and if those marketeers wish to generate somesales, they must appear to each individual tribe's independent weirdness.

His thoughtsgot me thinking about my own innate weirdness. In racing a couple of half marathons over the past few weeks with anumber of other similarly inclined folks, we must have seemed very weird tonon-runners who passed us as they traveled to church or elsewhere.

I am prettysure that my neighbors view my endurance training habits as a bit on the weirdside as they see me head out on a bike ride or run, and then come back worn,tired and toasted. I suspect they wonderwhy an old guy like me continues to beat myself up regularly when there aremuch more low effort choices to be made.

However, Ithoroughly enjoy what I do for leisure, and take great pride in being a memberof this fit, active tribe.

I alsosuspect that I, like virtually everyone else, am a member of several otherweird tribes. For example, I am aclassic rock aficionado and can talk for hours on the merits of one band vs.another. These conversations are usuallyunappreciated by my wife, who is not a member of this particular tribe.

So, as Mr.Godin suggests, I recommend that each of us embrace our weirdness, and perhapscontinue to search, explore and experience the weirdness of other tribes. And let’s do it with pride and follow theadvice of the late, great Jimi Hendrix who urged us to fly our freak flagshigh.

Thank youfor visiting.

Mental Toughness – or Not

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

In endurancecircles there is always a great deal of discussion concerning mental toughnessand the ability to turn one’s self inside out at key portions of races. I do admire those who can dig deep withinthose mental and physical reservoirs and push well beyond their previous welltested and analyzed capabilities.

However,when I measure myself, I seem to lack that killer mental toughness. Perhaps it is a result of decades of joyfulrunning along empty roads, often not concerning myself with pace oreffort. And of course I may have neverbeen endowed with the inner grit to become a true champion.

My mentaltoughness seems to be made up primarily of an ability to set fairlysubstantial, often lofty goals and then chip away at them over months or yearsuntil I have achieved success. I canfollow a long, complex plan without deviating nor skipping days orefforts. This long term ability hasserved me well in the classroom, business world and the endurance side of life.

I do think thatin knowing one’s self one must evaluate his/her weaknesses as well asstrengths. I know that come race day, Iam lacking that killer instinct to shift into a higher gear and crush myopponents. I arrive at the startsatisfied that I have done my best to prepare, and portion out my effortsthrough then race. I often whine andcomplain to myself during rough spots, but do manage to push through thosetough portions.

Often times duringraces or longer training efforts I may question myself as to why I have onceagain put myself on the line rather than heading in a more leisurely directionin life. However, when the race is over,I am once again filled with a bit of quiet pride, that I measured myself and amhappy with the result. And I am onceagain proud at my effort in keeping less than a full measure at bay.

So I guesswhat I am saying is that mental toughness comes in a variety of shapes, flavorsand sizes. Each of us possess more ofthis attribute that we probably realize and as a result, we could very well beshort changing ourselves if we do not periodically set the bar at a bit of anuncomfortable level.

Thank youfor reading and visiting.

Spokane Half Marathon

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

October 9brought the Spokane Half Marathon to my race calendar. It has been a number of years since I haveraced this event and was looking forward to it. Triathlons have seemed to wipe most of my favorite running races overthe past few years so I decided I would not let that happen in the fall of2011.

After lastweekend’s brutal hills, this race tends to be a bit more pleasant and lessbumpier. We start in downtown Spokane, head through some nice olderneighborhoods and then follow some tree lined roads and blacktopped paths.

I am gettingbetter at starting off a bit on the conservative side and then by mile threehave hit my target pace. This methodseems to make the tail ends of my races much more pleasant.

This raceprovides some amazing, exuberant aid stations. Local high school cheerleaders and track teams staff each station sothere are huge numbers of yelling, screaming, cheering teenagers to keep therunners moving. I love it and reallylook forward to the entertainment.

A couple oftough spots of the race were made a bit easier by some motivated high schooldrum teams. They really pounded out the rhythmand as I passed one group I asked the gentleman running beside me if I couldrequest the drum solo from In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. He gave me a bit of a blank look so I suspect that my dated musicalreference was lost on him. I was sorely disappointed.

One of thelegendary hills is Spokane’s famous Doomsday Hill and the race director is kindenough to include this massive incline in our morning running agenda. I am almost to the crest of the hill in thisphoto.

The photo comes complementary from the always sunny Jayne Anderson.

After reachingto the top of Doomsday Hill the course flattens out for the remaining threemiles or so. I like to shift into cruisemode, although when we hit a long portion of dirt/gravel road, my clumsinessmakes this a bit challenging.

After therace I picked up my finisher shirt – another technical shirt – I kind of wishthese races would go back to long sleeve cotton tee shirts – I can wear them throughout the cooler parts of the year – and headed home.

Later I wassurprised by a call from a friend who informed me that I had finished first inmy age group and he had picked up my medal for me. Wow – very cool.

Thank you for visiting.

Colbert Half Marathon Recap

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday,October 1, I raced the Colbert Half Marathon. This is a great race and has been held for well over thirty straight years. It is a bit of a throwback to simplertimes in that it offers a couple or three water stations, a five dollar entryfee if one wishes to forgo the finisher’s sweatshirt, and a race director whohas been running things continuously since it first started.

The racestarts in front of an elementary school and the race official tells us the officialstarting line is a crack in the road’s blacktop. A couple of minutes later the starter’spistol barks and we are off.

It is trulya magnificent course with the fall colors beginning to appear as we run pasttrees and waves of farming land with Mt. Spokane serving as the backdrop in thedistance.

The raceoffers a number of short, fairly steep inclines which, if I was on my bike would be consideredrollers. However, running them turnsthese bumps into hills. At about the 7.5 mile markwe take a right turn onto a dirt/gravel road and real work begins. Shortly thereafter we encounter a truly long,brutal hill that removes any snap left in the legs.

Afterovercoming that obstacle we are now on the top of Green Bluff which contains alarge number of fruit and vegetable farms and their crop is out for all to see.

Afternavigating a couple of miles or so on Green Bluff it is time to head towardsthe race finish as the road begins to wind downward. We fly down this road, and hopefully make upmuch of the time lost on that earlier dramatic uphill.

After a mileor so the road flattens out and it is a short, absolutely straight line to thefinish.

I hit thefinish line and grab a fresh apple which is the finish line snack.

It is agreat day and although I was a bit slower than I had hoped, I have enjoyedmyself.

Thank youfor visiting.

Taper Time

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am now inthe middle of week seven or eight (depending on how I am counting) of my runspecific training in preparation for the Colbert Half Marathon on October 1 andthe Spokane Half Marathon on October 9. I figure that since I was not enthused about running an entire marathonat one time, running a couple of half marathons, spaced a week apart, wouldwork almost as well.

My goalduring this period was to improve my running and actually get a bitfaster. I think I have accomplishedboth, although I did not quite obtain the speed improvement I was hoping for.

I will saythat I am beginning to once again feel like a runner. After the first mile or so of warm up, I findthat I can raise my pace to a reasonable level and maintain that speed for agoodly amount of time.

I am onceagain finding and appreciating the simple joy of running. During my Tuesday evening track sessions withthe Team Blaze Triathlon Club with each passing interval I seem to gain instrength and thoroughly enjoy the workouts. Unfortunately in the eastern hinterlands of Washington, the days aregetting shorter which means that with next week’s work out, we are finished withthese great sessions until the spring of 2012 or so.

When runningis a part of triathlon training, it is often less than joyful. Most runs involve pushing one’s self after atough bike ride, or engaging in a long run with a number of speedier, albeitpainful intervals added to the mix.

The pleasureof running as a component of triathlon training is in the ability to mix thethree sports and come out the other side stronger and faster, and with runningas the final portion of that conglomeration, it does tend to often be the mostpainful. It really is a quiet satisfactionthat is built on working hard and improving via regular testing andmeasurements and of course during subsequent races.

When justrunning, I find that I am once again finding myself engaged with the simple joy ofrunning, and the pleasure of pushing myself along the roads while feeling looseand free and for at least a portion of most runs, feeling that I can runforever. Each run reminds me of why Istarted in this great sport those 34.5 years ago, and why I have never stoppedsince then.

So while at61 years old, PRs are becoming a thing of the past, reliving the thrill of rhythmand movement has once again found me. Ilook forward to my upcoming running races over the next couple of weeks, and amalso excited about bringing the other two sports into the mix to see what I cando in triathlon in 2012.

Thank youfor visiting and reading.

Living

2011-09-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Movingalong, just shuffling on down the road of life, I am a satisfied man. Watching many of my peers and those Ifollowed, liked and even admired passing on before me, seems, when consideringthe big picture, like a logical progression of things.

As I get older, dying is not nearly the monumental, scary event of even a fewyears ago. Like the inevitable turn inthe road ahead, it is coming. That daymay be soon, or perhaps not for a goodly number of decades. Back in my younger days, fear of death anddying were there, perhaps buried in the back of my mind, but still there.

Now days Iam more cautious and careful, but this comes from a dislike of pain and potentiallybeing out of action for an indeterminate time. Life is for living and it is up to us to fill each of our days to thebrim. And sometimes that means pushinglonger, and harder and farther than ever before, and at other times it involvessitting out on the patio and enjoying the sunshine with my wife.

Living fullcan involve exotic, exciting trips or the smile and great conversation generatedby an unexpected visit from a son. Itcan come via sliding that great old CD into the player andhearing the long, lost guitar of Duane Allman piercing sonic holes in the skyor from the satisfaction of performing a job well.

On some daysliving is taken up by a fine bike ride with friends as we explore local countryroads in the spring or summer sun in preparation for upcoming races. It can involve cruising on a warm lake in my wetsuit, as my stroke feels smooth and clean and my breathing is in sync with my tempo. Living can be as simple as chasing each otheraround a track on a hot summer night as we push through the coach’sworkout regimen.

In short,life is what we make of it. Each of usis here on this great rock for a relatively limited time. And how we measure our success and happinessis truly up to each of us, and independent and separate from the metrics ofothers.

Let’s makethe most of what we’ve got.

Thank youfor visiting.

Life in Miniature

2011-09-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

I havefollowed Donald’s blog for a number of years now. His perspective of living and running in thehills and valleys of Marin County, CA and Northern California always generates a yearning in me thatmakes me want to visit.

He has also beena very strong proponent in minimal running footwear, and his in depth analysisof the various shoe company offerings is second to none. He has been a big reason that I have movedmore and more into that direction.

Recently heput out a call for guest postings. Hereis my offering. It was posted on hisblog earlier this week.

Woke up, fell out of bed

Dragged a comb across my head.

John Lennon

Waking up inthe morning and climbing out of bed, I feel my age and then some. The creakiness of my bones, along with the accumulatedsoreness from previous days’ training efforts, causes me to move as if I am inmy eighties.

I slowlywork my way downstairs, and if I am up to it, perform some abdominal exercisesor a stretching routine and am feeling better and have knocked at least adecade or so off my body.

Breakfastcomes and my morning fueling routine leaves me feeling stronger yet again as Itake a quick look at the headlines over my bowl of oatmeal.

Moving,puttering, taking care of tasks and talking with friends and neighbors helps todrop some more years from my body and mind. I am once again feeling alive and living with purpose. The warm summer sun is a welcome friend andlater, as I enjoy a protein smoothie on my patio for lunch, with only the birdsand some good reading material for company, I am appreciative and thankful formy great life and am looking forward to the evening workout.

I eat anearly, light dinner in preparation for what is to come, and give myself plentyof time to bond with the bathroom facilities before heading out.

Thisevening’s workout is a speed work effort with members of my triathlonclub. We meet at the coach’s house andwalk and jog up the hill towards the track.

A couple ofwarm up laps followed by some technique efforts in the soft grass in the centerof the track gets me feeling a bit better prepared to run.

Thisevening’s workout is 6-10 x 400 which means that it will hurt a bit.

I shuffleforward to the start with my gaggle of tri-buddies and soon we are off. We run like the wind, and although the speedof each of us is relative, it feels good to be pushing my pace on the smooth,flat track.

A shortrecovery jog between each effort helps at the beginning but as the intervals beginto pile up, the effort needed to continue and maintain the pace does as well.

Before long Ihave finished eight intervals and we are done, and we gather around, all glossywith sweat and good cheer, as we relive this workout and old races, and discussupcoming events. We are all equals inthis circle.

Afterwards,as we walk back to the coach’s house, lively conversations can be heard risingup through the warm summer night.

We onceagain gather in the coach’s front yard and he brings out a cold, frozen box ofpopsicles. As I enjoy that mixture ofsugar, water, and artificial flavorings frozen on a stick, I am once again justa youngster, laughing and talking with friends, before responsibility stepsback in and calls each of us.

As in mostother days, I have completed another modified, sped up version of my circle oflife. It will begin anew in the comingmorning and it is good.

Thank youfor visiting.

Looking Back

2011-09-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

Each of usis an experiment of one.

Dr. GeorgeSheehan

I tell youthis; no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn!

The Doors

For youngerfolks it is often nice to look back over the previous few years and marvel atthe speed gained and the improvements made in their respective sports. But one irreversible component of aging isthat we will slow down. We may be ableto delay it for a while, but it will happen.

With thatwonderful thought in mind, I decided to look back over the past few years(looking back over the past several decades would be really discouraging, so Iam limiting my evaluation to the more recent past). In gazing in the rear view mirror I decidedto evaluate my bodily changes via some local races that I have entered fairlyconsistently over these past few years.

First up isBloomsday. This 7.4 mile race, held onthe first Sunday of May of each year, is a Spokane, WA institution for 35 yearsnow. Here are my results:

2006 – 57:01– 7:38 pace

2007 – I trippedand injured my leg just past the first mile and walked it in.

2008 – 58:19– 7:49 pace

2009 – 1:02:01– 8:24 pace

2010 – 1:03:28– 8:30 pace

2011 – 1:05:14– 8:45 pace

Prior to2006 I finished consistently in the mid to lower 50 minute range most years.

SundaeSunday 10 Miler

2006 – 1:20:13– 8:01 pace

2008 – 1:29:12– 8:55 pace (I was preparing for a marathon and as a result I ran one 10 mile loopprior to the official race start, finishing a couple of minutes before the gunwent off in time to head out for a second, official loop).

2011 – 1:28:53– 8:53 pace

Here are myrun times from three separate Troika Half Ironman Distance races:

2006 – 1:52:53– 8:37 pace

2009 – 2:10 –9:55 pace (On this day the temps were in the mid – upper 90s).

2010 – 2:03:16– 9:25 pace

My overallhalf IM times over the same course have been consistent.

2006 – 5:44:17

2009 – 5:45:30

2010 – 5:37:46

I have alsoraced the Coeur d’Alene Scenic Challenge Olympic distance triathlon over thepast few years.

2008 – 2:51:02

2009 – 2:39:10(I believe the swim was short in 2009).

2010 – 2:50:03

2011 – 2:51:21

Here are myrun times from the same Coeur d’Alene Scenic Challenge

2008 – 50:22– 8:07 pace

2009 – 53:02– 8:33 pace

2010 – 51:20– 8:17 pace

2011 – 53:44– 8:40 pace

In addition,my training has been very consistent with a variety of efforts involvingdifferent distances and intensities. Myweight has gone up a bit, but it appears to me that it has not significantly impactedmy triathlon times. And my cycling timeshave continued to improve which have offset my slower run times.

As you can,when I strap on my running shoes, I seem to be slowing down as the yearsprogress.

What todo? I will continue training, pushingand pressing while doing my best to keep my body in the best shape I can. A side note is that I don’t find this declineparticularly discouraging; rather it is just an interesting component of aging.

Thank youfor visiting and keep rocking!

September 11, 2011

2011-09-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

Today we each remember in our own way. My way is to live my life normally, whilepondering the loss of so many those 10 short years ago, as I go through my day.

I started the day with one of my favorite races; the Sundae Sunday10 Miler. This is a magnificent racethat follows a one loop course past residential homes, and along the treecovered, undulating road that follows the path of the Spokane River, beforetaking a sharp right turn and engaging in a fairly brutal one mile plus uphill.

The race often brings old friends that I never seem to see nearlyenough. Several of these friends arehuggers and I look forward to each welcoming embrace. Today, however, friends and their embraces wereeven more special as I internally pondered that terrible day in history. In remembering via living a normal life, thatlife becomes a bit more special and meaningful and I am so very thankful tohave traveled in circles where I can engage with truly spectacular, open,giving humans. Each of you is specialand I thank you for allowing me into a small part of your lives. And thank you for your hugs.

As I raced this morning the thoughts of those forty passengers whowere a part of Flight 93 were on my mind. These were regular people, with normal jobs, families and lives. Yet on that day they rose up and did what wasnecessary in order to stop evil from completing even more mayhem and destruction. As I was trudging up one of the hills Iwondered if I would have had the wherewithal and bravery to stand and fightalongside those brave souls.

Later in the day I played a very small part as a volunteer in the TeamBlaze Triathlon Club’s first annual Kids Triathlon. Watching these small people race from theswim to the bike and onto the run, and finally finishing with sweaty bodies andbright smiles on this hot day was moving.

Youngsters who were not yet born back in 2001, and whose world has beenforever altered by that day strutted with their well-earned medals around theirnecks.

In watching each of them along with their proud parents, I foundmyself with a bit of a lump in my throat and truly hope that their world bringsmore joy than suffering, more happiness than heartache and a fulfilling life ofsubstance. On this sunny day that worldtruly is open to them and I will continue to pray that it remains so. And I hope we never forget to thank thepeople that continue to ensure our freedoms through their vigilance and sacrifices.

I also observed the two special people who organized and led this Kid’sTriathlon. These two are truly some ofthe finest humans I have ever met. Theygive each and every day, rarely if ever seem to have an off day, and I remainin awe of each of them, and am so very thankful that they periodically allow meto stand close to their light.

So today, for me at least, life and living brings optimism, hope, promiseand thankfulness. Life goes on and wemust embrace it with our entire core. Isuggest that we celebrate and appreciate our victories, families and friends,and learn from our setbacks.

That is the example I hope I can provide.

Thank you for visiting.

Speed

2011-08-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Over the past few years I have lost a significant amount of running speed. It is not because I have not worked hard – for the most part I have, although I suppose portioning my time between swimming, biking and running may have had a bit of an impact.

I think a big part of the cause, in addition to getting older, is that I have been accomplishing my long runs too slowly. My training plans almost always call for intervals at specific speeds, and I can usually hit those bogeys. However, when long run days arrive, I fall back into the long, slow, comfortable runs. And while this is very enjoyable, the result has made me a long, slow distance runner.

In walking back from our track speed work session on Tuesday, our coach made a comment that could have easily been missed if I was not paying attention. He mentioned that his long run speed improved when he decided that his long runs would be no slower than 45 seconds off his goal pace.

That was eye opening to me, because mine are typically around 90 seconds slower. I think that what happens is that when race day arrives, my body has not adapted to the faster goal pace over the longer distance, and I end up crumbling. Granted, I can hit my long run goal pace up to 10k or so, but beyond that, things begin to slow down.

And the other side of the coin is that I should be running faster than my long run goal pace when racing the 10k portion of an Olympic triathlon.

So once again into the breach – it is time to add a bit more pain and effort to the mix and see what percolates up. I am hoping to see speed.

Thank you for visiting.

Smile

2011-08-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought this was pretty funny. I guess that if you didn't instantly understand the reference, you are a bit less gray than I.

Thank you for visiting.

Time or Money?

2011-08-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

I was just finishing up a short run. I had decided to take the next eight weeks and see if I can find some of my lost running speed. As I stopped and began walking I came upon a young, fit looking guy who had just finished a bike ride. He was parked on the side of the road in the dirt and was disassembling his bike so it would once again fit into his sub compact car.

He had raced the same triathlon as I the previous week, and had finished in the top ten overall. He was definitely a fast young fellow who lived at the pointy end of most races.

I offered him parking in front of my house the next time he was in my area so that he did not need to perform his transitions and finishes in the dust and dirt. We began talking.

He told how he wished he had more time and money to improve his racing. A fifty hour a week job, a girlfriend, an older bike and limited income were limiters, in his eyes, towards his racing success. He wanted a new bike, and like many triathletes, often had to decide between sleep and training.

I, on the other hand, have a different set of limiters. While I can splurge on a nice carbon fiber bike, race wheels and power meters, and being semi-retired have most days free; my body has begun to become a bit of a limiter. No longer can I blast away day after day. The times I ran when I was in my twenties and thirties are long gone.

Yet each of us also has similarities. We are doing the best we can with what we have. The young fellow was heading out for some brutal run intervals before racing home to his life. I was heading home to a smoothie on the patio in order to refuel and rest in preparation for a long run tomorrow. Each was doing what was necessary to get a bit closer to our potential.

We are following our own fine-tuned plans, learning as we go and pushing our limits, while enjoying each of our own versions of being an athlete.

The two of us, total strangers who just met, with almost forty years of life separating us, immediately bonded over people and experiences that we both have in common in this endurance life.

I guess we really aren’t so different.

Thank you for reading.

The Coeur d’Alene Scenic Challenge Triathlon Race Report

2011-08-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

My triathlon events have been admittedly, a bit sparse this year. That is not to say that I have neglected my training; quite the opposite. I just seem to have avoided pulling the trigger and sending in the fees for races this year. But if you must know, racing is kind of a logistical pain in the butt. My training schedule and life are laid out in a nice neat structure, and then comes a race, which means packing my stuff, getting up at o’dark thirty, jumping into often cold water with a large number of other crazy people – you know the drill.

That said, I really look forward to this Olympic distance race each year. It is kind of a big deal up in this neck of the woods with well over 500 entrants racing in a magnificent location.

So at seven am on this past Saturday I stood watching the first wave of swimmers hit the water. This was the 40 and under group. Then, 10 minutes later it was my turn.

I am the one in the red hat, and this seems to be my best angle as I discuss things with a couple of team mates who were there to cheer us on. I did not realize that my wetsuit completely compresses my massive, massive lats and causes my finely chiseled butt to disappear.

After the tales of frozen swimmers exiting from Lake Coeur d’Alene during IM CdA, the water was absolutely perfect. I swam very well and felt especially good when I found myself actually passing some other swimmers in my group.

While this picture of me trotting into T1 is interesting, look at the scrum behind me. The full body contact seemed to be continuing on dry land.

I am getting better and faster with my transitions. This is my third year at this race and each year I have improved my times. At the suggestion of a friend, I once again filled my running and bike shoes with baby powder. I love the feel of baby powder between my toes in the morning. And who doesn’t like the fresh smell?

The bike course is a tough, honest one with some substantial, robust hills – hence the Scenic Challenge name.

Here is one of several challenging hills. Uber local athlete and this year’s overall winner Roger Thompson is powering up the grade. P.S. I stole this picture from Jessi Thompson – thanks Jessi.

After knocking out the requisite 40k on the bike we hit the run course. This is an out and back flat course and with a couple of waves of athletes, three if one counts the teams, and racers, at least in my case, have no definitive idea how they are doing in relation to other racers. I had seen one other gentleman in my AG on the bike, which made me nervous and I pushed hard to separate myself from him, but at this point had no idea if any other old guys were ahead of me.

However, it is important to take the victory when you can get it, and I made my move to pass these ladies close to the finish and managed to hold them off.

I was very happy to hear that I had won my 60 – 64 AG and received a nice bottle of red wine from a local wine producer for my efforts.

In addition, this was the USAT Pacific Northwest Olympic Distance Championship, and my club, Team Blaze Spokane – the largest and oldest tri club in the Inland Northwest, won first place with a brand new Computrainer as a prize.

We had a massive showing (notice that I am missing in that I must have been once again in the bathroom when pictures were taken).

It was great day and a fine race and I congratulate all the other athletes and the fine people who organized and managed this terrific event.

P.S. I apologize for stealing all these other pictures from my team mates who were organized and kind enough to be there with cameras in hand. Thank you!

Thank you for visiting.

Race the River Sprint Tri Report

2011-07-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

Training is good and it helps keep one in some semblance of reasonable conditioning, provided that that training is performed on a regular basis and at a fairly arduous level. However, for me at least, it really takes the donning of the club colors in a race to generate a serious evaluation of my present fitness.

I performed a tentative, albeit short evaluation this past weekend in Coeur d’Alene at the Race the River Sprint Triathlon. This was my third time at this great event, and other than the packet pick up process, things were as professional and well run as ever. Standing in line for the packets took an eternity; however the race director has graciously agreed on the problem and promised to fix this issue for next year.

The race venue is relatively small and compact (the 11 mile bike course consists of three loops) but still seems to provide reasonable accommodations for 800 racers of all abilities. The swim is a point to point affair with about 10 waves taking off every three minutes. As a result, even slow swimmers like me can catch and pass some from previous waves. Wave starts also means that one is essentially racing against one’s self in that he/she has no idea when those around him/her actually started.

I am attempting to pick up speed a bit after a sharp turn.

The end of the swim involves a pretty substantial run up a couple flights of stairs, over blacktop and finishes in T1 which is comprised of dirt and sharp rocks. As a result I once again pulled out my patented running shoes with the heels sawed off. They definitely saved my soft feet.

The run, as a five kilometer affair, is of course, over fairly quickly. However there is a short, somewhat humbling hill just prior to the two mile point.

In measuring my own fitness, this sprint race tells me that I really need to back away from the dinner table. Form fitting spandex can definitely cause the pudge to show and the pounds I have gained over the winter are still here, pretty much in full bloom for all to see.

Photo evidence of my winter coat still in full bloom. I am the chunky one on the right.

So, while I did manage to win my age group (which included a bottle of fine local wine, as well as a cool medal), I would like to once again morph into a bit of a slimmer version of Spokane Al. My job now is to do something about it.

Talk is cheap.

Thank you for visiting.

Back Again

2011-07-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Back in 1967 music truly moved and enveloped me and in my teenaged perspective, the finest band of the day was The Doors. As a confused smaller portion young man/larger portion goofy boy, struggling through high school with the typical mountain of angst, uncertainty and self-conscientiousness on my shoulders, I absolutely could not get enough of Jim Morrison’s amazing lyrics, and the power of that group’s music. Many, many times Mr. Morrison’s animalistic, piercing screams emanating from the primitive stereo in my bedroom would drive my father absolutely crazy. To say that things were a bit tense around my house is an understatement.

Recently I have gone back to that great American band’s self-titled initial album and Strange Days – their sophomore effort - and again re-discovered the clarity of their music. Even if one does not fully appreciate the totality of Mr. Morrison’s lyrics when he tells us that “. . . I am the Lizard King, I can do anything . . .” the message continues to resonate via his tenor and tone, and that of the three other musicians who backed him up. The lyrics and music of Mr. Morrison and the Doors involved visits to the dark corners of life, were light years beyond the peace and flowers crowd, and I loved it.

When I look back at those times in the late sixties, it truly was a lifetime ago. When one views current music, television and movies and the language and perspective of modern artists, it is worth remembering that things were very different back in 1967. To walk around with long hair, or listen to rock and roll was to invite anything from ridicule to outright rage. We truly felt that we were members of our own special tribe – something the rest of the world could not possibly comprehend or understand.

And while the mediums may be dramatically different, I felt a bit of that same magic when I took up running in 1977. It was if I had discovered a new language or religion. To don shorts and head out for a couple of hours on the paths and roads seemed so alien to my friends and family that any discussion or explanation was for naught.

So here it is in 2011; I am in my sixties, still running and still listening to the Doors. Life often does involve completing the circle, even if that route involves a bit less hair and a substantial amount of additional wrinkles.

Let’s rock.

Thank you for visiting.

The Perfect Note

2011-07-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

Al T, a gifted writer and blogger, recently discussed the passing of Clarence Clemons; the magnificent sax player and integral member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Al’s ability to capture the importance of Mr. Clemons’ tunesmithing to his own life got me to thinking.

A while back I read where Carlos Santana felt a drive towards a continual search for excellence in pursuit of what he called the perfect note. And while it may take him a lifetime to achieve it, and it may happen only once, if at all, it is something that he never grows tired of. His search brings meaning to each day as he reaches for his guitar.

I think sports can bring that search for the perfect note to our own lives. As the hours turn to days and into weeks, months and years, I continue to train and test myself. Much of my training is solitary, and races are sometimes a bit too far and few between, and like most everyone, I do go through highs and lows, while I never truly stop my search.

During the long winters I spent hours and hours pushing hard on my bike down in the basement, sweat dripping off me and rock and roll blasting as I worked to hit my wattage bogies. I bundled up and headed outdoors for my runs, and again, with ragged breathing and steam often coming from the top of my head, I continued my solitary journey to pick up a second here or there, or in all honesty, as I continue to age, battled to keep from losing too many of those seconds.

When the weather begins to turn the bike comes off the trainer and I start all over outside. It is at this point that I begin considering my upcoming racing schedule and the credit card comes out as I register for at least a portion of my favorite races.

And as I consider my training and upcoming racing, I must admit that I continue to work towards that version of the athlete’s perfect note. As an aging athlete I tend to be an optimist in believing that the next race will be my best one.

And sometimes that race meets or exceeds my expectations, and sometimes it doesn’t, but never the less, as I stand around the finish line, reveling in being alive while possessing the ability to race and sweat and smile; even on my worse days, life is pretty darned sweet.

And if that is as close to the perfect note as I can get, I have no regrets.

Thank you for reading.

Anniversary

2011-06-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

On June 1, 1977, with almost two years of marriage under by ever stretching belt, I was thoroughly ensconced in the good, comfortable married life of fine meals, great conversation and a minimum of physical activity.

It was at that point that my wife gently pointed out that I was getting fat. So I went for a jog. That short slow run turned into a habit and I was soon trotting around my neighborhood in the finest of athlete attire of the day – a snazzy brown and tan velour jogging suit.

Jogging begat running and I moved to shorts and tank tops and soon entered my first race – the San Bernardino 10,000 Meter Run. Since it was advertised in meters, the numbers sounded very impressive. I soon found myself standing along a huge line of runners that stretched across the width of the football field, and when the starter’s gun barked it was time to be off.

As a jogger, I knew nothing about races and pacing and took off like a rocket with the rest of the field. You can guess the rest of the story, as I soon petered out and found myself gasping through the remainder of the race with a throat raw from exertion. At the finish, I was, however, very proud of my first racing tee shirt.

By late 1977 I had discovered Runners World Magazine, George Sheehan, Bill Rogers and all the rest of the legends and pundits of the sport. I had truly found myself a new religion. I quickly discovered that I could eat anything and still the pounds dropped off, and like many others, I considered myself a proud member of a secret tribe of skinny super people.

By 1979 I was signed up for my first marathon; the Palos Verdes Marathon. I trained steady, although my calculations of my running speed seemed to be massively overly optimistic compared to my actual running times. Those last few miles were very, very ugly. In those days, the race organizers provided a couple or three water stops along the way, and free yogurt at the finish. I was pretty danged excited about the free yogurt.

I had also begun to rely on Runners World Magazine for some insight into the best running shoes and soon purchased a pair of Adidas SL95s. And since all the best runners ran sockless, I did as well, even though I needed to tape up my toes to prevent blisters.

My wife quickly discovered that in my running everyday, and sometimes twice a day in one pair of shoes, without socks, I generated a smell that could peel the paint off the walls. As a result my shoes were relegated to remaining outside by the back door.

In 1980 a military move transferred us to the Pacific Northwest, where I became active in the local Tacoma/Steilacoom, WA running community. Those were heady days, and I completed a second marathon – the inaugural Emerald City Marathon in Seattle, WA – and my finish time of 3:27 still stands as my best.

My marathon attire consisted of cotton shorts and a cotton Who commemorative tee shirt that I had purchased at a recent local concert.

Shortly thereafter Bill Rogers came up for a race, and myself and a small handful of Fort Steilacoom Running Club members took him on a local run. I was in awe as I ran beside Bill, peppering him with questions as he trotted along, politely answering each of them.

That four year period really cemented my conviction that I was born to run and that I would continue until my days on this great rock were finished.

After living in Steilacoom the military again generated a move, and we headed off to Germany for four years. And while races were few and far between, I had boatloads of great runs through their magnificent forests.

While in Europe I completed the 100k Pays de Bitche race in Bitche, France. It started out at about seven pm and continued on throughout the night. By the time I had finished my feet were swollen which caused my toes to curl in my shoes, but I did enjoy the route through the many small French villages as all the villagers came out to greet us and offer great food and drinks as we passed.

After four years in Germany, we were again summoned to move and this time we made our final military move to Spokane, WA. And here I have lived and ran since 1988. My military career ended in 1994 and it has been here that I took up my new love; triathlon, and worked hard to learn the intricacies of adding swimming, biking and transitions into the mix.

As I look back at 34 years of steady running, I can honestly say that while I have many more faults than I would like, running has truly been my rock and my compass. It has kept me grounded and is something that I come back to again and again to find balance and provide continuity in life. And while I often tend to overdue things, and running is no exception, without it I would be less than I am as a human, and as a man.

Running helps me answer internal questions about myself, and perhaps get a better handle on life and worldly issues. It truly has provided decades of pain and suffering and joy and freedom. It has provided me with a way, each day, to push and test my limits, and sometimes I succeed and sometimes not. It brightens my day, modifies my attitude, and improves my perspective on life. After a solid run it is difficult to remain angry or despondent about much of anything.

Running has helped me dissect issues and challenges, while always enticing me to search for that fleeting runner’s high, which is infrequent enough to serve as a bit of a carrot out there each day, in knowing that things must be perfectly aligned to achieve it.

Running has provided joy and anguish, and highs and lows, while always offering an honest assessment and measuring stick of my ability as a man and as an athlete on that particular day. Running is fleeting, and as a result, my efforts from yesterday are gone in an instant, as the new day brings fresh challenges and questions, as I once again slide my feet into my running shoes.

And along with running, I would be remiss to finish without mentioning my wife. She has been the rock and foundation in my life and is the one who pushed me onto my running journey. And on more than a few occasions, when I have begun to become a bit of a handful to deal with, she has politely but strongly encouraged me to get out of the house and go for a run.

As always, I am truly grateful that you took the time to visit.

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-30T16:21:00.001-07:00

This is a re-post from a previous Memorial Day.

A three-day weekend is the time for festivity, good times and relaxing, and the Memorial Day weekend represents the beginning of summer, the return of a rejuvenating sun, and long, mellow days to come. However it also represents something much, much more.

On this Memorial Day I hope we can take a moment to remember. Perhaps we can remember and give thanks for the sacrifices of our military during the epic sea battle between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis, on the bayonet charge at Little Round Top, when they sustained the lines at the Argonne Forest, as they came ashore on the bullet swept beaches of Normandy and Iwo Jima, as they maintained the frozen perimeter at Pusan, in the bloody siege of Khe Sanh, in the bitter streets of Fallujah and in the Shahi-Kot Valley.

The United States was founded on the bedrocks of freedom and independence. These concepts are forged in blood and sacrifice in our Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. They resonate with every note and every word in The Battle Hymn of the Republic, The National Anthem and America the Beautiful. To mind-numbing numbers of Americans before us, these concepts are not just abstract philosophies. Tens of thousands of our friends, family members and neighbors gave their very lives in defense of these freedoms and continue to do so today. Many, many more stand on the front lines in far off locations around the world watching, waiting and ready in order to preserve our liberties.

We, as Americans, must never ever forget the ultimate price that was and continues to be paid by others so that we can continue to enjoy the benefits of these freedoms. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters traveled and continue to travel to far off locations with unpronounceable names and leave their broken bodies and spilt blood on these strange, foreign lands. Their bloodstains hallowed that ground forever as they left families and friends to strive to continue on with holes in their hearts, and ancient memories seared in their minds.

So, as we enjoy our barbecues and engage in our fun, please take a moment and really, really listen to that single bugler playing Taps. And then perhaps take just a minute to give silent thanks to those soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have stood in the past and continue to stand ready today to give the ultimate sacrifice.

I hope we never, ever forget the real reason for Memorial Day.

"Your silent tents of green
We deck with fragrant flowers;
Yours has the suffering been,
The memory shall be ours."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow –

And I would also suggest that we include a prayer of thanks for the Brits, Canadians, Australians, and the many others who stood side by side, throughout history, with American military and together marched forward into the breach in the name of liberty and freedom.

As always, thank you very much for reading and take good care of yourselves my friends.

And Back Again

2011-05-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am a solitary man, especially when it comes to training. Since last fall, I have accomplished one hundred percent of my training alone. This works well for me, especially in the dark, winter months where I can be found http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifdown in my basement, plugging away on my bike which takes up permanent residence on my trainer.

However, after those many months, I found my attitude towards triathlon and endurance sports flagging. As I put on some pounds I began thinking that I needed a new direction to get the blood pumping and the motivation high.

But then during this past weekend, I met some friends from my local triathlon club. We did a loop of the IM CDA bike course and it was magnificent. The weather was outstanding and the roads were filled with triathletes out for their long bike/brick efforts towards the upcoming IM event. It felt terrific to mix it up with friends and see all the friendly, spandex covered hard bodies out on the course.

This single ride renewed my spirit. Afterwards, as I was driving home, I came to the conclusion that I do not want to watch from the sidelines. I have no desire to become the pudgy fellow I once was, so many years ago. It is important to me to continue forward as my version of an endurance athlete, even as I become older and grayer.

The alternative is just not acceptable.

I hope to see you out on the roads and in the water again real soon.

Thank you for visiting.

Community

2011-04-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

Sports and training are interesting. Over the years and decades my training sometimes ebbs and wanes. During these periods I tend to eat a bit less healthy and perhaps periodically pass or ease up on a training effort.

It is at these times when I find the community of age group athletes so important. And while I tend to train solo pretty much exclusively, the postings of others can serve to reignite my athletic juices.

It is at these moments that I will come across an impressive effort via Facebook, or read of a large group turnout at a bike or run workout by my triathlon club.

It often takes a new posting of a long followed blogger popping up on Google Reader which is like an old friend resurfacing. I read about his or her exploits and I am once again recharged and ready to rock.

And then sometimes it just takes getting on the scale for my morning weigh in to remind me that pudge and endurance sports do not mix particularly well.

In conclusion, the strands of community that builds the web that keeps me moving is wide, varied and motivating.

You are a fine group of humans, and no matter what your particular take on pain and effort may be, I am thankful that you are there – no matter where there is across this broad, loose affiliation of diverse regular people who continue to push and prod through individual limits.

Thank you for visiting and reading.

101 Words

2011-04-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

The Inlander, our weekly local rag, recently held its annual essay contest. This contest is open to all with just a few rules. Each essay must be an original fiction entry and the length of the essay cannot exceed 101 words.

This year I decided to see what I could cobble together and proceeded to pound out an entry. As in previous years the quality of entries was high and the competition fierce.

As a result my essay did not meet the cut. However, in a meager effort to keep my words from disappearing forever in that vast abyss where most of my efforts lie, here is my entry.

Redemption

The tired, worn man guided his pickup towards the freeway rest stop. Grimacing, he eased his stiffened body from the cab and swore to himself upon seeing the many brown families and children there.

Suddenly one child darted into the road at the same moment a slumbering semi awoke.

Instinctively, the man sprung toward the child, placing his own body between the oncoming behemoth and the small boy.

As he lay on the warm pavement, his life ebbing, the man’s eyes opened and he truly saw and felt the spring sun, the hovering faces. He smiled and was gone.

As always, thank you for visiting.

New Shoes

2011-03-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

Like a bazillion other runners and triathletes I read Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen and decided that the minimalist shoe concept made some sense.

I have also read Donald’s great blog for quite some time now, and enjoy his take on minimalist running and always appreciate his thorough shoe reviews as well.

As a result, over the past couple of years I have been running virtually all of my brick runs in a pair of well worn Nike Free shoes. I have really liked them and the most noticeable aspect of running in these shoes was their weight, or actually their lack of.

Each time I put on my Nike Frees I wanted to run just a bit faster and found myself more comfortable at a faster pace. This is a very good thing.

In pursuing this knowledge a bit farther I moved to the Saucony ProGrid Kinvara as a replacement for my previous running shoes; the Brooks Defiance 3 model. With the 7.7 ounce Kinvara shoes vs. the 10.6 ounce Defiance 3, the weight difference is substantial.

The Kinvaras are similar to running in slippers and as a result I have moved to a more forefoot running style. And, as with the Nike Free shoes, I feel much more comfortable running at a faster pace.

There was some definition adaptations needed when moving to a lighter, forefoot running style. My calf muscles would be a bit sore as I slowly increased my mileage. This was not a big deal, but rather my calves would remind me during the runs that I had changed my technique.

As a result, I think I have permanently moved from the heavy, well cushioned running shoes. In fact, as a result of a previous post by Donald, I have changed my work shoes as well. I now wear a pair of Patagonia Men's Advocate shoes around the office.

In conclusion, every now and then you can teach an old dog new tricks, and I am living proof.

P.S. Wouldn’t you know it? I recently received notification that the Saucony ProGrid Kinvara shoes are being discontinued.

Thank you for visiting.

Self Discipline and Responsibility

2011-03-07T08:51:00.001-08:00

Back in the old days many of those before us worked hard, physical jobs each and every day. Then they would come home and eat a meal made from natural sources, relax a bit with the family and perhaps the newspaper, go to bed, and get up and start the process all over.

After saving long and hard for a down payment they would visit their local banker, who in knowing that his (this was usually a man) bank would hold on to that loan for the duration, would make a decision on whether or not to finance the customers’ desire to purchase a home.

The children, when not in school, would spend their days, until called in for dinner, outside; running and playing and burning up energy.

Now fast forward to the present where there are fast food restaurants on every corner, video games are beaconing the youngsters to stay in and sit and exercise their thumbs, and financial institutions bombard us with advertisements for easy money that greatly exceeds our needs and capabilities as consumers.

In my mind these times call for a renewed sense of responsibility and self control. No longer can we depend on hard work and meager pay to portion out our grocery expenses. The local, conservative banker is long gone and it is now up to us to measure and determine our own financial standing and capability. Credit is something that each of us must portion out judiciously.

In response there seems to be an increasing outcry for the government to help us avoid fast food and unhealthy habits. We demand that federal and local oversight be there to bail us out when we overextend ourselves via credit card or mortgage debt.

We want big brother to prod us into an exercise program and push the pharmaceutical industry to invent magic pills to instantly and painlessly remove our pudge for us.

And I think many of us are becoming a bit weaker and less self reliant as a result.

While these are new, innovative and different times, the need for self reliance, self discipline and responsibility remains. It is time to once again buck it up dear friends.

Thank you for reading.

The Home Mortgage Tax Deduction

2011-02-28T08:42:00.000-08:00

Note: This post is a bit off track from my usual sports and life related rants.

I believe the mortgage deduction, among a number of other deductions, should be eliminated. I think that it motivates people to purchase more expensive homes than they would have without the deduction, which, in the long term, causes home prices to rise. The whole system creates friction, artificiality and complexity in the system and the home ownership market.

Items such as the home mortgage deduction (and the estate tax) provide avenues for an entire cottage industry to percolate up which, in turn, adds to the costs and does little to generate revenue for Uncle Sam, if that was truly the initial purpose.

If the mortgage deduction was eliminated I believe that over time, home prices would, via supply and demand, reach their true equilibrium point and people could and would ultimately purchase the same homes for less money.

We need and deserve a simpler, more frictionless tax system. The complexity of the current tax system borders on the obscene and what should be a pretty simple annual tax preparation process has turned into a complexity of ever changing rules and laws that leaves virtually everyone fighting through reams of paperwork.

As a seasonal tax preparer I would be happy to be visited by only those with the most complex tax issues.

Thank you for visiting.

Eternal Internal Battles

2011-02-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

Native American culture tells the story of a man who explains his own constant struggle between positive, empowering, creative impulses and negative and self-destructive ones by telling his son that he has two wolves fighting in his heart -- a good wolf and a bad one. The boy asks him which of the two will win the battle. The father replies, "Whichever one I feed."

Growing up in a lower middle class, working family in Seattle, he was awkward, clumsy and possessed little or no ability to compete in sports or much else. He stumbled through the requisite high school, one among many in a giant-sized group, invisible, and carried along with the wave of the crowd. He had no clue to what he wanted to do in life, and his father grew more and more angry and exasperated with him. I suspect that few would find much noteworthy to remember him by, if they remembered him at all.

He grew up to the sounds of top 40 radio as a companion. He loved it all – Motown, blues and especially rock and roll. When left alone he would position the speakers from the cheap stereo with one on each side of his head, and blast the albums he had purchased; Paul Revere and the Raiders, Jefferson Airplane, the Standells, the Doors and anything coming out of Seattle’s KJR and its hip, fast talking DJs.

A military career found him, and after the first few years of continuing to stumble through life, things fell into place. He became a person who could be depended upon, and was given more and more responsibility and promotions. His intelligence began to bloom, and he did as well.

His people skills always seemed a bit lacking – he was more comfortable in books and the written word than in engaging with others. Parties would find him fidgeting in the background as he plotted his escape, unless he had been plied with alcohol, and in that case he would be the loud, obnoxious one. As the alcohol took effect he would become louder and more and more outrageous. Friends loved watching him play the fool, others, not so much.

And now after some periodic inroads into groups, clubs and boards, he has once again moved back into the safety of his cave, where he can observe more than interact, where he can find comfort in solitude, reading and solitary training. And although he continues his never ending line of questioning and wondering, he had begun to find a bit of satisfaction and happiness in his take on life and living.

Thank you for visiting.

Lance

2011-01-22T08:17:00.001-08:00

I admit it – I am a rabid, long time, yellow bracelet wearing Lance Armstrong fan. I read both of his books years ago, and each year, for twenty days in July, I would wake up early before daybreak to watch and be inspired by this amazing human.

I have probably seen the videos of “the look” at least 20 times and still get chills down my spine when watching it as the great Phil Sherwin and Paul Liggett paint the moment with their words.

I, like millions of others, have been stirred and motivated by Mr. Armstrong’s cancer story and the foundation he created and the good he does for others who fight and often loose the battle over that terrible disease.

I was even pretty danged happy when it seemed that Lance had found his mate in Sheryl Crow and was disappointed when they went their separate ways.

I had been burned by Floyd Landis after loosing my voice cheering for him during that amazing Tour de France stage and once again felt renewed when Mr. Armstrong announced his comeback.

So now there is an investigative bloodhound on Mr. Armstrong’s trail and forces are working to prove that he led a planned, organized doping deception during those wondrous, amazing Blue Train days.

So where does that leave things with me? As other, more eloquent writers have said, I believed in Lance the way the childhood me believed in Santa Claus. And I guess I still do.

But if, in the end, he gets indicted, for me at least, another piece of the wonder of life and the belief in the greatness within each of us will be chipped away. And I will be a bit sadder.

Thank you for visiting.

An Athlete

2011-01-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

Rising up out of the western side of the great state of Washington; Mt. Rainier is one of my favorite places in this world. Native Americans named it Tahoma, meaning the mountain that was god.

I have asked my family that in the event of my demise, I be cremated and my ashes spread where there is a view of Mt. Rainier. It has always been special and signifies home to me, and I never tire of gazing at its magnificence. Many years ago I climbed to the top of that spectacular mountain, which solidified my love for it.

Back in 1977 when I first started jogging during that initial running boom I came across articles where writers would classify regular people like me as athletes. This really amazed me, because in growing up, as a sedentary, confused, pudgy teenager, I was absolutely the furthest thing from an athlete.

In hearing that term applied to me, I felt that this was just about the highest praise one could give, and I immediately and for decades after, set out to live up to the standard of being an athlete.

Now, after those many decades, I have become comfortable being described as an athlete, and tend to look for opportunities to call others, who strive to change, and train and achieve, athletes. I still consider it a high honor and hope that I will continue to meet the criteria for that designation.

And when I pass on, and my ashes are spread on that vista with a view of my magnificent mountain, I truly hope that among the many nouns used to describe the late me, one will be athlete.

Thank you for visiting.

Older

2011-01-04T13:30:00.000-08:00

Each off season brings the promise of increased intensity to make one stronger and faster in preparation for when the weather turns and I am once again outside on the bike. I follow the same training perspective with the run as well, although I do continue to pound out my intervals outdoors on the often snow covered roads.

As I work through the off season plan, I train along with several hundred other Endurance Nation cyber teammates and enjoy reading about their exploits and how they continue to reach new highs when measuring bike efforts via wattage Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and runs by pace.

As for me? I seem to be on track to replicate the previous year. That is, at the beginning of the off season, I will start with an FTP that has drifted downward through the end of the season, then over the 20 week off season plan, I will slowly but surely bring those numbers back to, or close to, where they were at their heights during the previous year.

And to be clear, this is not a result of sandbagging through the off season. I rarely, if ever, miss a session, and always push to meet the bogeys that have been set. In short, I, like virtually everyone else following the off season plan, am suffering and pushing.

So I guess my observation seems to be that after 33.5 years of running and a number of years of biking, it appears that, at 60 plus years on this rock, maintaining my current levels, or gaining a bit to get back to where I was a couple of years ago is perhaps close to the best I can hope for.

I know, that while last year’s racing season found me on the podium for age group finishes a number of times, I will never hit the speeds or achieve the running race results I enjoyed a couple of decades or three ago. And after a few years of bike riding with power, I am starting to think that perhaps my fastest times are behind me there as well.

So it has begun. I know that intensity is a key towards slowing down the slide. I also understand that pudge slows one down. With that in mind, I will continue pushing myself close to puking and working on dropping some pounds. Because if one believes in the rule of thumb of one pound equalling two seconds per mile, if I drop those extra 10 pounds I have just gained 20 seconds of free speed on my runs.

And now more than ever, I can use all the free speed I can find.

Thank you for visiting.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T08:05:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all. I hope this is your best ever and the New Year brings you continued health and happiness.

As always, thank you so very much for visiting and reading.

Linearity

2010-12-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

As most know, progress in training to get faster and stronger is not measured via a straight line. It involves working hard, testing, resetting zones, and repeating that process; over and over and over. Sometimes I will find that while I have followed the individual workouts religiously, and met or exceeded all the bogeys, when testing day arrives, I discover that I have made little or no progress.

However, I take that most recent metric for a simple bump in the road, and again push myself through a few more weeks of hard training, and later testing will uncover some nice improvements.

Life is like that as well. There is very little in real life that can be measured by a straight line. My investment portfolio history is one of jagged fits and starts as it continues it’s albeit less than dramatic uphill climb, and even the most recent gut wrenching decline has been pretty much recaptured.

Family and employment successes are similar and setbacks are what can make us stronger. A friend recently underwent heart surgery and came out the other side with a smile on his face, and excited to get back in the mix. Others, undergoing similar issues, wonder why life has dealt them such a disappointing hand.

I believe that endurance sports help us achieve success in all parts of our lives. Endurance sports teach us that victory, no matter how we measure it, is achieved through hard work, perseverance, a positive belief in ourselves, and keeping the eye on the prize. Anyone who has competed in distance races or long course triathlons knows that race day will bring some uncomfortable, why-am-I-doing-this, painful sections. We work and grind our way through these tough spots, and our success is a measure, in large part, in our ability to persevere.

And the next day or the next race finds us ready to do it again.

And such is life.

Thank you for visiting.

Growth

2010-12-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

I am hard at work in the off season, with an increase in intensity coupled with fewer hours of training. And while during those intense sets I have little opportunity for daydreaming as I utilize all my brain cells to keep my body moving at that uncomfortable pace, at other segments of the day, I have been spending time reflecting on me.

And there are portions of me that I find satisfying, and other portions that remain a work in progress.

When I was younger I could be a real pain to others as I provided my unvarnished opinion on the subject at hand. And while I did manage to win over my opponents, I know they were often left with hard feelings over the brutal discussions and my less than gentle verbal tactics.

Now as I have aged, I have mellowed some, and do my best to be a better friend and member of the human race. I work hard to understand and accept the alternative opinion, and provide others with the space and respect that they deserve.

And then sometimes I fail, and revert a bit to my old self. Later, as I analyze and evaluate and reevaluate, I tend to beat myself up for my actions. Apologies are given and I hope that they are accepted. I have begun to learn that it is better to disengage and move off in another direction rather than loose a good friend or friends in the name of pressing my point.

So I continue to live and learn and grow. And I truly hope that process never stops.

Thank you for visiting.

In Defense of the Speedo

2010-12-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

Every now and then an enthusiastic debate erupts concerning proper swim wear attire. One side of the argument seems to center around the perspective of old guys causing offense and permanent eye damage to others as they mosey pool side in their worn, skimpy Speedos.

That standpoint centers on the fact that some believe that entirely too much old, loose skin and grey hair causes smooth skinned, buffed youngsters to quake and quiver. And if that same old guy is a bit too rambunctious in his intake of the holiday feastings those additional pounds around the belly, combined with a sunken chest, only serve to magnify the problem. And of course the bald or balding palate adds additional fodder to the discussion.

This image generates a response involving a recommendation that the Speedo guy change to more modest, age appropriate swim wear.

To that I say phooey! Slipping on a pair of jammers does nothing except cover a bit more thigh, which happens to be one of my better (among my very few) attributes. The belly, loose skin and grey chest hair are still out there in the breeze. The tightness of either suit continues to provide a bit of an indication of the magnitude of my giblets, and neither suit does anything to improve my feeble swim stroke.

So I shall continue to wear my Speedo. It is constructed of a tough material that lasts several years (of course no one has yet mentioned whether or not the butt material is getting a bit transparent).

I figure that after 60 plus years on this rock, I have earned every grey hair, loose fold of skin and decrease in chest size, and as the late, great Mr. Jimi Hendrix once proudly proclaimed, “I'm gonna wave my freak flag high!”

Thank you for visiting.

When Do I Quit?

2010-12-04T13:06:00.001-08:00

The December 3 issue of the Wall Street Journal offered an article on the question of whether or not Bob Dylan should retire. It seems that some of his concerts are less than dynamic, leaving audiences confused and disappointed and the WSJ thinks that it maybe time for Mr. Dylan to hang up his guitar and harmonica for good.

The article got me thinking a bit about my own mortality and athletic longevity. When does one morph from competitor to observer? I continue to enjoy races but do wonder if I would continue racing if I reached the point where I, as the old guy, am generating applause for just being out there? Even now, when I sometimes complain about a less than stellar performance and well meaning friends and family respond with a “at least you are still out there” comment, I inwardly bristle.

Because while Woody Allen said that, “ninety percent of life is just showing up,” I believe, at least at this point in my life, “showing up” is just not enough. I will admit that my opinion on this will probably change as I move further into my sixties.

I have read about the dramatic decline many experience between their late sixties and mid seventies. I remember seeing my father when he reached his seventies and noticing that suddenly he had become really old.

So for now I continue to press on. With winter here, I am once again hard at work down in the basement on the bike trainer, pushing through FTP intervals as I sweat rivers and whine to myself with my tongue hanging down in my spokes. I continue to head outside and do the same on the run, arriving back home worn, winded and with a smile on my face.

And when that smile begins to fade, I know it will become time to consider hanging up the competitive clothes and shoes, although I cannot imagine a life without a great deal of moving and sweating involved.

And as for the original Bob Dylan retirement question - since when did rock and roll come with a retirement plan? If the music still moves you and you can periodically touch your audience by doing what you were born to do – keep on keepin’ on Mr. Dylan.

Thank you for visiting.

Personal Profit from Non Profits

2010-11-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

Throughout much of my life I have been or have worked for bosses. In the military the boss had the truly ultimate vote in any decisions. I understood that fact as I rose through the ranks and became a boss.

Later in corporate life, even with company initiatives to help grow supervisors and managers so that they might treat their employees with respect and understanding, it was still levied on those managers to be the deciding arbiter. And, here, I once again saw the process from both sides.

However, over the last couple of years as my professional life faded into the past, I have been honored to serve on a couple of distinct and different non-profit boards. And this experience has been an enlightening one.

A non profit board has no definitive decision maker. Decisions are reached after careful discussions, compromise and understanding. Each member is an unpaid volunteer and an equal in this process. I have learned that non-profit conclusions and directional changes are the result of gentle collaboration while keeping the best interests of the non profit first and foremost always in mind.

I suspect that as I continue to move along the non-profit board learning curve I have and will continue to test the patience of my fellow board members. I am often not the easiest guy to work and live with and in this new territory, I am sure I often present a challenge to the other board members.

However, I truly do appreciate their patience, understanding and willingness to continue to invite me to meetings as I work to become a better board member and human. This truly is a higher calling and I am most grateful for the opportunity to serve.

Thank you for visiting.

Mental Toughness

2010-11-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

I admire those who wake up in the morning and accomplish audacious feats purely by mind over matter and spirit over body. Even though they may be less than full trained, they are still able to perform well beyond the limits that their bodies attempt to set.

I, however, am a different sort of animal. In order to maintain a level of mental toughness I must constantly practice and work and test to improve my mental capabilities. I know from bitter experience that a body and mind at rest stays at rest, and that sloth begats more sloth.

So when this week, in the first days of my off/out season training, called for separate bike and run tests, I was less than excited. I knew what was coming and frankly, I brainstormed options to postpone or cancel the tests.

I did my bike test on Monday and my run test today (Wednesday), and each was as ugly and difficult as I imagined. As I worked through the duration of each test I found myself wanting to bargain and strike an internal deal if I quit. I could stop short and then just WAG an estimate covering the missing time.

However I stuck each test out. And while not wildly happy with the results, I now have a baseline from which to establish my training zones.

And going forward I will continue to push my body, and more importantly my mind to gain in strength and stamina. In Habit #7 of Stephen Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he tells us to “Sharpen the Saw.” Covey uses the analogy of a woodcutter who is sawing for several days straight and is becoming less and less productive. The process of cutting dulls the blade. So the solution is to periodically sharpen the saw.

So that is what I must do. Each and virtually every day, I must sharpen my own mental and physical saw. On some days this means continuing to question and prod as I read and write and on most others I work on my endurance and strength hobbies.

Because, although I may lack a bit in natural talent, I can pound and prod myself into a fitter, faster and more mentally agile me.

Thank you for reading.

WTC Access Membership Part 2

2010-10-28T08:49:00.001-07:00

There continues to be a high level of emotion and opinion concerning the latest WTC news. Here are, after sleeping on the subject over night, some further thoughts.

With IM CDA in my back yard I am there every year as a volunteer and/or spectator and have raced it as well. And while I tear up each year in watching regular people push their own limits far beyond what they have previously thought possible, I also am continually amazed at the money people spend for IM events. The fancy hotels are booked, rental cars are reserved and the restaurants are full. This one week vacation meets or exceeds the cost of taking one’s family to a more traditional destination vacation.

This does not even count the money competitors spend on the finest bikes, equipment and coaching. Costs seem to be rarely an issue when it comes to preparing for and racing IM. The typical IM athlete struts around the event in his/her fanciest lycra while taking in only the finest, cleanest of nutrition while viewing life through high end Oakley sunglasses.

So with those thoughts, I just think that all the uproar over this latest news is a bit disingenuous. WTC IM logoed events left the regular person in the dust a long time ago.

I personally have been troubled in previous years that IM Canada made everyone travel to Penticton to sign up for the next year’s race, without even offering on line registration. That policy seemed, to me at least, to be an excuse to take advantage of the knowledge that we, as a group, have a discretionary cash stash that is virtually limitless when it comes to this sport. I found that policy caustic and totally profit driven.

So my conclusion is that IM events, by their cost, exclusiveness in race entry number limits, and while being crazy cool events of a lifetime for many of us, are elitist in nature.

My conclusion is that of DC Rainmaker who is much more eloquent and precise in his comments. The access option simply provides another choice. One should consider that option against the odds of successfully completing an on line entry or traveling to the event the year prior. It is not a big deal, nor a cause for lamenting the end of the IM world as we know it. In fact, I suspect that in the big scheme of things, after the smoke clears and emotions settle down, it will be a none event.

If one wants to see and experience the true spirit of triathlon, become active in local races. Convince your local tri club to offer entry fee scholarships to those local races. Volunteer, offer advice and help.

As always, thank you very much for reading.

WTC Access Membership Announcement

2010-10-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

The internets seem to be in a bit of an uproar over the WTC’s recent announcement to offer $1 thousand per year membership which provide early access to IM branded races along with some other pedestrian stuff.

Here are my thoughts.

When the WTC, as an earnings driven corporation looks at their events, it is obvious that with many if not all of their races selling out virtually a year in advance, that they are leaving money on the table. Supply and demand tells us that entry fees can and should be increased to meet a demand that far outstrips supply.

However, instead of raising entry fees, they came up with the Access Membership program to capture some of those dollars. If I was an investor, this is precisely what I would want them to do. It is actually pretty innovative, in my opinion.

Is this not what big named rock and roll bands do when they go on tour? Most of the bigger bands have created golden circle tickets for hundreds of dollars more per ticket. This serves to increase their bottom line and perhaps avoid alienating the less wealthy who wish to experience the band in concert.

Boatloads of other corporations can only dream of being in this position and having to engage in similar discussions.

And as consumers, as always we can vote with our check books.

Thank you for visiting.

Changes

2010-10-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of posts. I have been a poor host over the past few weeks and suspect that my enamorment with Facebook has been a part in the problem. I have been tossing thoughts out on FB via a couple of sentences rather than developing them into more thoughtful blog posts.

I need to work on developing a middle ground between the two mediums.

Onward.

The triathlon season has ended, I am without a tri bike as I wait for a frame replacement, and have enjoyed a couple of weeks of easier, one-a-day training efforts. Training has consisted of short road bike rides and easier running and swimming efforts.

This year is the year I am truly planning on taking some downtime prior to kicking it up a notch with an off season plan of higher intensity, arduous albeit shorter training efforts.

In previous years I seem to approach each off season with excitement to gain in strength, speed and endurance and have taken little down time. As a result I seem to experience a bit of a wearing down of body and spirit by the time spring settles in.

So this off season will find me backing off for several weeks, if not a month or two before once again ramping things up. I need to watch what I eat a bit as well, because with less exercise comes an adding of pounds and blubber, which occurs at an awesome speed.

I will be looking forward to see how things turn out.

Thank you for visiting.

The Good, Bad and Good

2010-09-26T20:02:00.001-07:00

Saturday was excellent. The day called for clear skies and temps in the mid 70s – perfect for a bike ride. In anticipation of a great day several us headed for Coeur d’Alene to do one loop of the CDA IM bike course.

Here we are feeling a bit frisky before heading out on the ride.

Since my triathlon season was over for the year I spent my time just keeping up with my pals and when they stopped to regroup, I did as well. It made for a nice, pleasurable ride.

However, I have recently been noticing a problem with my bike. It first occurred when I would sit up to climb hills. The bike would creak and crackle and if I repositioned my butt it would usually go away. However, this past week it has gotten worse. I had thought that the noise was originated with my rear water bottle holder, but after tightening that unit I still had the same problem.

I then took the bracket apart that is designed to hold the seat post in place and inspected the components. The pieces looked good and I put things back together. After a ride earlier this week I tightened that bracket just a bit to make sure it had not loosened.

During the ride the problem continued to worsen. During one pause in the ride, I noted that the seat post could be rocked back and forth. By the time I finished the ride I could slide the seat post completely off the bike with the bracket still attached to the post. That did not seem like a good thing.

On the way home from our ride I stopped at Fitness Fanatics; the bike shop where I had purchased my tri bike. One quick look by Jim, their ace mechanic, was all he needed. Jim informed me that my frame was damaged and would require replacing. Apparently this particular affliction is an ongoing issue for Felt Bicycles, the makers of my bike.

If you look closely at my photo you can see the bracket that holds the seat post in place. This bracket is an integral part of the bike frame and had separated from the frame and was not reparable.

Jim also informed me that Felt Bicycles provides a lifetime warranty of the frame for the initial owner of the bike – which is me. When I got home I checked my bike paperwork and verified this information.

So now I will wait and see how Fitness Fanatics; my bike shop which has always taken great care of me, and Felt Bicycles; the maker of the bike that I have thoroughly enjoyed riding, solve my problem.

I have full faith that they will both do what is right to maintain a valued customer.

I will look forward to keeping you posted on the results.

Thank you for reading.

Aging Up

2010-09-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

Our grown son stopped by to wish me a happy birthday yesterday. During his visit I took some time to show him where some of our important information is located for, you know, just in case. He pointed out that I was celebrating a birthday, not dying.

And he was right. Mr. Dylan once sang, “He not busy being born is busy dying.” A number of us, as we continue to age, begin to view life as a downward spiral, with the belief that our remaining days be portioned out carefully and judiciously.

I once wrote that life can be viewed as a conveyor belt, with each of us on our own personal belt, traveling at a different speed from everyone else. Some fly by and quickly fall off the end. Others ride belts that are much slower and steadier moving. However, each of us knows that at some point he/she will reach the end of that belt. And as we get closer to our final days, the end of our individual belt becomes increasingly more in focus.

However, as long as there is still breath in us, we should revel in life and enjoy it to our maximum capacity. For some that means engaging in audacious activities and for others it means continuing to learn and grow while remaining an integral part in the lives of friends, family and community.

Some may wish to jump out of airplanes, travel the world or reach the podium at local races. Others may strive to serve as a positive role model for grandchildren or help at a homeless shelter. Still others may return to school to obtain that long sought degree.

The key is that each of us needs to find our own way in life and determine what makes us, as an individual, happy and productive. Then we can throw ourselves into the fray and live our days without regrets. And hopefully we will not reach a point where every other sentence of our conversations begins as the late, great singer/songwriter Warren Zevon once sang, “Should of done, should of done they all sighed.”

So with a bit of luck and an unwillingness to quit, we search for our bliss. And that search keeps us in touch; as alive, meaningful, impacting humans.

I look forward to seeing each of you out among the living!

Thank you for visiting.

Spokane Triathlon

2010-09-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

I feel a bit like the fabled baby bear. When the weather is really hot, I tend to wilt. And when the weather is really cold, I have some difficulties. The challenge is, for me at least, in finding a race in a narrow temperature/humidity/cloudiness/sunshine window that is just right. And as for yesterday’s Spokane Triathlon Olympic Distance race – the porridge was way, way, way too cold.

This race is nice because it is only a very short drive from my house. Of course, when I woke up at five am and checked the outside temps and saw them sitting at 40 degrees, and knowing that the water temps would be 60 degrees at the very most, I did have some trepidation.

And although, as an economics fan, I understand that my race entry fee was considered a sunk cost, in that whether I raced or not the money was gone, I packed up my stuff and headed out.

Upon arrival I found a number of people shuffling about, setting up their transition areas and trying to stay warm. I did the same but managed to put on a brave face before the start.
Photo courtesy of Phil S.

I usually like to take a warm up swim prior to race start, but with these temps, getting in a minute or so prior to the start was enough. I managed to do a couple of strokes over to the rest of the racers and then the horn went off and we were off.
Photo courtesy of Josh H.

The swim course was actually very pretty. We swam up a slow moving, tree lined river with steam rising from the water and the sun beginning to rise over head.

After blindly plowing through the water for a half hour or so due to goggles that had become completely fogged over, I heard some cheering and headed for the noise. Shortly thereafter I was out of the water and headed for T1 over a fairly long, rough blacktopped run that raised havoc with my baby soft feet.
Photo courtesy of Phil S.

Upon arriving in T1 I fumbled around, trying to get socks and a warm top on with hands that were uncooperative after my swim. Eventually, after almost five and half minutes I was on my bike.

Are those ladies in the background discussing my butt?

Photo courtesy of Phil S.

The bike ride was brutal. I froze for virtually the entire time and my feet remained painfully cold. I would begin to warm up just a bit, and then hit a downhill, which increased the wind chill dramatically. I finally rolled back into T2 and made the transition fairly quickly.

The run was on flat trails with some loose gravel. By mile two my feet finally thawed out and felt normal and I began to enjoy the race. The sun was out, I was sweating and things were once again as they should be.

I completed the many loops around the course and straggled across the finish line in a time of 2:56:55 which was almost 13 minutes slower than my previous year’s Spokane Triathlon effort.

I did finish second in my, albeit very small, age group. However in response I would say to all the other 60 year old guys who were missing from the scene – come on out, let’s see what you’ve got!

Thanks for reading and visiting.

Remember

2010-09-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting.

The Rainbow Family

2010-09-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

I must be getting old.

The local newspaper’s Sunday front page story offered an in depth expose on the Rainbow Family; a loose affiliation of free thinkers, misfits, doobie smokers and leftovers from the 60s as they gathered, in what is an annual or more frequent event, in a national forest to the north of my fair city.

Decades ago I would have packed up my eight track tapes and my bleeding madras shirts and headed up there in my semi operative Volkswagon beetle in the hopes that its motor would stay in one piece long enough to make the journey.

Now I just look onward with quiet bemusement at the antics of these gentle, albeit dirt covered souls. They do seem to be having a great time as each sheds his/her citified wraps and pulls out and dons the carefully folded and stored tie died clothing in anticipation of feasting on a mystery-ingredient laden stew cooked in the remnants of a 55 gallon drum, some belly button gazing music, a toke or two on a sloppily constructed communal joint and perhaps a chance of some fleeting free love between friends.

What more could one want?

Well, I guess I have moved on; both physically and spiritually. I now find my bliss in wringing as much as possible from this body as I engage in endurance sports. I look forward in anticipation to long runs and/or bike rides and find freedom, joy and answers in sweat, effort and increased fitness.

Each day I ponder my training schedule with keenness and expectation. I measure my improvements over seasons and years, and as one summer begins to wind down, my excitement grows over what the next year will bring. Getting older provides me with the potential of moving into a new age group where perhaps I will beat some of those wiry, tough old farts, and reach a podium finish at least a time or two.

And at the end of the day, as a true material loving human, I enjoy my fine life with loving family and friends, a comfortable recliner, a full refrigerator and a car in my garage that I know will start each and every time.

While at home I am within a few steps of my computer, my Kindle awaits for my reading pleasure and the most serious technical issue I could face is that my remote control batteries will have died.

This life is the new good.

Thank you for visiting.

Yesterday

2010-09-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I awoke knowing that I had a two hour run ahead of me. A look at the weather outside found it perfect – cool, with clear blue skies – it was going to be a good one.

I pondered my apparel choices, filled my Camelbak, futzed with my Garmin and then headed out. It began very good and after my initial 30 minute warm up it was time for my intervals. I hit each pretty solidly, while enjoying the recovery portions between.

About an hour into the run I reached a long, steep hill and slogged up it with sweat dripping and running off my face and balding palate. As I labored up the never ending hill, I was a bit in awe at the luck and good fortune that allowed me to do this kind of cool stuff.

Later in the evening I headed to the airport. A member of our triathlon club was returning home to his wife and friends after a year away while serving in the military in Iraq.

Watching the initial embrace between him and his excited wife put a lump in my throat. For a moment, even though they were surrounded by clapping friends and family, they were alone with each other. The time away had instantly dissipated as they reveled in each other’s arms, odors and emotions.

I thank the good Lord for those, like our friend and teammate, who are willing to serve in those forsaken places and put their lives on the line while the rest of us go about living in our normal day to day world.

They are the true heroes of the day.

Thank you for visiting.

10:10 Monkey Shake Review

2010-08-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

I’m a monkey man!
The Rolling Stones

In the spirit of Donald, the video follows this review.

As mentioned previously, I was lucky enough to win some free samples of 10:10 Monkey Shake, thanks to Donald. Here are my thoughts on this drink.

The friendly people at Monkey Shake politely categorize their drink as The Ultimate All Natural Protein Shake which generates a pretty high bar to hurdle. Their drinks have, what I consider, some interesting ingredients. The first, and largest ingredient, is rolled oats, i.e. oatmeal. The thought is that oatmeal will “stick to the ribs” and as a daily eater of oatmeal for breakfast, I can verify that fact.

The next largest ingredient is, as one would expect, protein. This is followed by Chia seeds, which, as many know, seem to be the latest and greatest endurance food thanks largely to Christopher McDougall's seminal best seller; Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.

I had a choice of either the vanilla or chocolate flavored Monkey Shakes and went with vanilla.

My first taste involved putting the vanilla Monkey Shake mix, some non fat milk and plenty of ice cubes in the blender, and grinding things up. I must admit that that initial sampling left me a bit underwhelmed in that I found the concoction a bit tasteless. However, by adding a heaping spoonful of chocolate powder to the mix it was very tasty and filling.

I especially liked the addition of the Chia seeds. They added some consistency to the drink that is missing from my Costco purchased protein drinks and made those drinks seems a bit tame in comparison. I did need to make sure I had a spoon handy to scrape all the Chia seeds left on the sides of the blender, but this was a pretty minor inconvenience.

And while I did not feel any magic instant strength or pickup, I really enjoyed the drink. With the addition of the chocolate it was tasty, filling and an enjoyable lunch or post workout drink.

All in all – very good stuff!

Thank you for visiting.

The Penguins and a Butterfly

2010-08-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

This should bring a smile. Have a great day.

Thank you for visiting.

Coeur d’Alene Triathlon Race Report

2010-08-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

The Coeur d’Alene Triathlon is a large affair. The race is made up of an Olympic distance triathlon, a duathlon and team competition. It is one of the biggest races of the season in this part of the woods and the tri community comes out in full force.

On race day the weather was perfect except for the breezes blowing in off the lake, which caused for some choppy water. The swim course is a triangular affair with the final turn and the straight line back to the finish as the longest portion.

Rather than let the chops bother me I just went with the flow and did my best. Swimming continues to be my slowest event and that leg of this race was no exception. I rolled back to the beach with a time of 33:53.

After coming out of T1 I headed out on the bike. I have always liked this bike course because it is honest and if one blasts too hard early on, he/she will probably pay on the hilly portion. With the 40 and younger group starting out 10 minutes ahead of my wave, and the duathlon crowd rocking their run, the bike portion was fairly crowded. I tend to like the crowds because each time I pass someone, there is another person ahead for me to attempt to run down.

I finished the bike portion with a time of 1:19:49.

I was hoping to break 50 minutes on the run but knew that I would really need to rock in order to accomplish this. I pushed along steady and just beyond my normal comfort level, and although I did not my reach my goal, was fairly happy with a time of 51:29.

My total time for the race was 2:50:03 which placed me eighth in the 55 – 59 age group.

And therein lies a bit of my heartburn.

In my previous race, six days prior, I raced in the 60-64 AG per USAT rules. The CDA triathlon was also a USAT sanctioned event but the race management made the decision not to follow Rule 3.2 which states:

All age group athletes must participate and compete in the age group division corresponding to the athlete’s age on December 31 of the year of the event.

I had pointed out the fact that I was in the wrong age group three times prior to the start of the race, and each time race officials assured me that the issue would be fixed.

However, after the race, when I went to review the results, I saw that I was still in the 55-59 AG. I searched out and found the race officials who were compiling the finish times, along with the race director, and pointed out the error.

They informed me that “each athlete will race according to his/her age on race day. Then prior to sending the data to USAT, race management modifies that data to reflect AG results with athlete birthdays as of 12/31/2010.”

Not knowing any better, I took this for face value. Then as I was driving home, it started to bother me. When I got home I looked up the USAT Rules and found the rule cited above.

I then emailed Charlie Crawford who is the USAT Rules Chief and laid out my questions to him. Here is his response:

Hello Al,

You are absolutely right that you deserve consistency of the rules when you race a USAT sanctioned event. Event organizers do not have the option of ignoring or violating any of the Competitive Rules. In fact, it is a contractual obligation to uphold and enforce the Competitive Rules and each race organizer must agree to the contract or not be sanctioned. Therefore, the organizers of any event that does not use age of birth year for competition and awards are in violation of their sanction agreement.

I have included the Directors of our departments that manage event sanctioning and services in this email. They will follow up with the race director of the Coeur d’Alene Triathlon.

Thank you for letting us know about this issue. If this should happen to you again, I suggest that you inform the race director that you wish to file a formal Protest under Article 10.

I think the lesson learned here is that we, as athletes, need to understand the rules and our rights and responsibilities. When we don’t this is what happens.

I wonder if I will receive a response from the CDA Triathlon race management.

Thank you for visiting.

Monkey Shakes

2010-08-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

If you have not marked the blog of Donald at Running and Rambling in your Google Reader, you are missing an excellent wordsmith. His writings are always interesting as he explores living in northern California, trail, road and ultra running and his intense interest in the growing segment of minimal footwear. His perspective on life, running and people is always a pleasurable read.

Recently he offered another one of his many contests. This one involved some free servings of Monkey Shakes which are billed as THE ULTIMATE ALL NATURAL PROTEIN SHAKE.

The only catch was that one must strive to be creative and perhaps generate a bit of a smile. The judges would be Donald and at least one of his elementary aged daughters.

I could not pass that up and here is my entry.

I am kind of funny looking
And my brain moves mighty slow
But when I drink Monkey Shakes
I can really rock and roll.

Donald and smart and lovely daughter
Please send some Monkey Shakes to me
And if you would be kind enough to do that
I will climb the nearest tree.

Cause I likes ‘em Monkey Shakes
And am just a goofy old guy
So when I hoot like a monkey
My family wants to know why.

Monkey Shakes, Monkey Shakes
Pick me! Pick me!
Monkey Shakes, Monkey Shakes
Yes Sir EEEEEE.

Guess what? I was one of the winners.

I will be sure to let you know what I think of Monkey Shakes when my prize arrives.

Thank you for visiting.

Troika Half IM Distance Race Report

2010-08-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

On August 1 the Troika Half IM Distance Race was held for the 30th consecutive year and it was a good one. The weather, with temps hitting the low eighties, was mild compared to other years and even with a last minute bike course change, the organizers once again put on a first class event.

This was to be my third effort at this race and I was hoping for the best. Last year I was pushing for a PR but the blazing temps on the runs put a bit of a damper on that goal.

The swim is held in Medical Lake; a small, smooth lake a few miles outside of Spokane, WA. At seven am we hit the water and I took my customary position towards the back of the pack. The course was very well laid out with a large number of buoys to follow and I finished the swim feeling pretty good.

Thanks to Phil S for this photo of my buddy Tobin and I. He is much faster than me and as a result this is the last time I would see him until the finish.

Here I am heading to T1 (photo courtesy of Anne I). Somewhere along the way I lost my goggles so I think that at this point they may be on the beach behind me.

Swim Times

Troika 2006 – 42:41
Troika 2009 – 39:55
Troika 2010 – 40:25

I have been working on getting a bit faster in my transitions. I seem to have bottomed out in my T1 times.

T1

Troika 2006 – 4:28
Troika 2009 – 3:02
Troika 2010 – 3:13

As soon as I got on my bike I realized that my hat was placed a bit far back on my head. I adjusted it so at least I looked a bit faster.

Photo from Phil S.

While, as I mentioned that the bike course had been changed, I think I would rate the difficulty in this year’s course compared to the previous courses as virtually identical. We covered much of the same territory, and just took just different paths along the way as we rode from Medical Lake to downtown Spokane, WA.

I continue to have difficulty in maintaining a power level where I think I should be, and will continue to work on this shortcoming. My power numbers can definitely stand to be a bit higher.

Bike Splits

Troika 2006 – 3:03:16
Troika 2009 – 2:51:15
Troika 2010 – 2:49:54

The Troika organizers do a great job in T2. We just roll in and they are there waiting for us, standing by to take our bikes with a bag open to drop our bike gear into, and then we trot about 10 feet to a park bench and another volunteer hands us our T2 bags. It is very easy to hit the road running in a minute or so.

T2

Troika 2006 – 0:59
Troika 2009 – 1:20
Troika 2010 – 0:58

The run is fairly simple and straight forward. Follow the markings on the road and paved path that runs parallel to the river for a bit over 6.5 miles, turn around, and head back. My goal was to run the first three miles about 30 seconds slower than my Z1 time which meant 10:15 per mile, then pick things up for the next six miles and finish with whatever was in the tank.

Photo courtesy of Phil S.

And while that was a solid plan, I was unable to run that slow at the start. At each mile I felt I was barely running and then would check the time split and see that I was running between 9:05 and 9:14. I suspect this caused me some problems towards the end.

With the plan gone, I decided to wing it and just concentrate on maintaining that same, consistent pace. It worked out fairly well although I did peter out a bit on mile 13.

Run Splits

Troika 2006 – 1:52:53
Troika 2009 – 2:10:00
Troika 2010 – 2:03:16

I knew through most of the run that if I could hold things together I would capture a Troika PR and did manage to knock some times off my previous best.

Finish Times

Troika 2006 – 5:44:17
Troika 2009 – 5:45:30
Troika 2010 – 5:37:46

It was a fine day for a race and I managed, astoundingly, for the second week in a row, to finish first in my age group. These AG finishes are going to put a great deal of pressure on me in future races.

Phot courtesy of Phil S.

I must give a special thanks to the many members of Team Blaze who were everywhere on race day cheering me on and raising my spirits. And in the spirit of camaraderie many members of Tri-Fusion, another local tri club, did their fair share of cheering and giving me high fives through out the day as well.

Thank you for visiting.

Diana Nyad's Extreme Dream

2010-07-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

"I'm 60, and look what I can do!"

“. . . get to your other shore, whatever your other shore is.”

Thank you for visiting.

Race the River Sprint Triathlon

2010-07-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

This is the third year for the Race the River Triathlon and the organizers really put on a first class event. It is held in a relatively compact area and accouterments including energetic announcers, a long list of swag and a pretty fair post race lunch.

This race also provides many first time triathletes with the opportunity to take that initial step into our great world. This year brought 750 racers to the start.

One of the racers was Michelle Sidles, a blogger friend who I had hoped to meet for the first time. I did have the terrific opportunity to meet this great lady and her husband. She comes across as honest, open and everything she portrays in her always enjoyable blog. This was her very first triathlon and she was pretty excited to finish.

The race begins with a 10 wave start in five minute intervals. The swim takes place is a very slow moving river (I felt no current) and heads down river for a half of a mile before racers finish at a dock.

The picture is courtesy of Donna.

From this point there is a relatively long run up some stairs and back to T1. Fortunately or unfortunately the swim time encompasses most of the run portion in that we do not run over a timing mat until we enter the T1 area.

I am a pokey swimmer anyway so this is my excuse for a slow time, but this year I made some ch-ch-changes which improved my time. Last year I left some running shoes on the dock to slip into before the run to T1. That sounded like a good idea but if you have ever experienced trying to get wet feet into running shoes, you know how difficult this can be.

So I read about a modification and followed the instructions. Here are the results:

This really made it easy to get into these shoes, and although they were a bit difficult to run in, I will definitely use them again.

I also removed my wet suit on the dock, prior to the T1 run. Last year the long run seemed to dry out my wet suit which made getting it off difficult. This was another good move that I will replicate in the future.

Here are my swim and T1 times for this year compared to last year.

2010

Swim – 16:40
T1 – 1:47

2009

Swim – 15:56
T1 – 3:38

The 11 mile bike ride encompasses a three loop course, which means that before one is finished he/she will encounter a large number of other bikes. I spent much of the ride announcing “on your left” and had no major problems.

I finally got to meet Sue Hutter. She is a terrific lady, and although she seems to be built at only ¾ scale when compared to other humans, her heart and spirit are huge. It was a real pleasure to talk with her. This picture comes from her great eye and camera and although I was still fighting to clip in, I did my best to look my best.

2010 Bike – 31:16

2009 Bike – 31:43

The 3.1 mile run is fairly flat with a bit of an incline followed by a steep, short hill mixed into the route. It is worth noting that racers make the turn around a bit past the hill and then have the opportunity to run back down that same hill.

By the time I got to the run I was concerned as to where I stood in my age group. I had yet to see any other 55 – 59 year old males and knew that meant I was either towards the front or bringing up the rear. At about the two mile point I came across my first 55 – 59 age group competitor. I had been pushing and now had to determine the best move. In knowing my final kick is less than light speed I decided to pick up the pace as I went by him in the hopes that a) he would not notice the age marked on my calf or b) he was worn down and would be unable to catch me.

Shortly after passing him I made a right turn and was able to look back. He was fading in the distance so I decided to continue at this faster pace.

2010 Run – 25:05
- Mile 1 pace – 7:49
- Mile 2 pace – 8:10
- Mile 3 pace – 7:36
- Total average pace – 7:49

2009 Run – 25:14

I really enjoy this little race and was very happy to finish first in my age group. This is a first for me and one that I do hope to replicate again in the future.

Afterwards all the members of Team Blaze showed off their finisher smiles and hardware.

Thank you for visiting.

World Record Holder

2010-07-24T17:43:00.001-07:00

Here is a record I may aim for when I can no longer move these old bones.

Longest ear hair
Radhakant Bajpai, 50, of Naya Ganj, India, is one of many medical record breakers to make their way into this year's Guinness World Records Book.

The hair sprouting from his outer ears measures 13.2cm (5.19 inches) at its longest point and was confirmed by Dr R P Gupta.

Mr Radhakant said: "God has been very kind to me."

Thank you for visiting.

Trifecta

2010-07-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

With hot sunny days and warm nights, summer has definitely arrived in this part of the world and this means that triathlon season is in full swing.

With that in mind I will be doing my best to participate. I have been heading out to Medical Lake; a local, nearby lake, for a weekly swim in my wetsuit so I can feel a bit more comfortable swimming shrouded in rubber and not resting every 25 yards.

I also have three races over the next three weeks. First up is the Race the River Triathlon in Coeur d’Alene, ID. It is a sprint and was actually my first ever sprint event when I raced it last year. This race is scheduled for July 25; this coming Sunday.

I follow the Race to the River Sprint with the Troika Half Ironman Distance Race the following Sunday on August 1. This will be the 30th edition of this great local, point to point race and my third time experiencing the event.

Then on August 7 I head back to Idaho for the Coeur d’Alene Triathlon; an Olympic distance event. This race is one of the premier events in the local area and brings a veritable who’s who to the scene. It is like a family homecoming for local triathletes.

These races will also give me the opportunity to ride my bike with its spiffy new shoes in several different events.

After that I will probably take at least a couple of weeks off before racing at least one half marathon race and perhaps another Olympic distance tri in the September/October time frame.

It is a busy, fun time. I just wish I had lost that 10 pounds I was hoping to get rid of a few months back. Oh well, as a plump friend once told me, an extra Milky Way candy bar keeps the wrinkles off.

Take care and thanks for visiting.

Oh, to be Young

2010-07-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after finishing up a swim, I ran into a friend in the locker room. He lives next door to a very fast, young triathlete (25 – 29 AG) who did exceptionally well at the recent IM CDA event.

He was very impressed with this young guy’s speed and keep telling me, “oh to be young.” He went on to talk about how amazed he was that a week later the young guy went out and rode 50 miles on his bike just for fun. He could not imagine how anyone could do that and repeated his refrain of “oh to be young.”

A couple of times I attempted to interject that IMs, riding for fun, etc are not just for the young and with a bit of practice almost anyone could accomplish these feats. He did not seem to hear and once again lamented “oh to be young.”

I hope that for many, life will not find us on the sidelines repeating those tired words, “oh to be young.” Instead let us continue moving forward, and celebrate an active live, no matter what our age.

Thank you for reading.

Independence Day Perspective

2010-07-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

The birthday of America gives me a great deal to think about. Over two centuries have passed since this great country was founded, and those years have been tumultuous and always fascinating.

As a person who has managed to put a bit aside so that I can live a bit of a more leisurely life, I have little to complain about, but I still do, but am learning and becoming calmer in my perspective. Things that would trouble me a few decades ago are now not worth worrying about.

When I look back at my view of life as a child of sixties it is dramatically different now that I am actually moving into my sixties. I was such a goofball back then, and may still be at this point in my life, but I am learning to keep my mouth shut more often, which will, hopefully, not make it so painfully obvious to others as in the past.

Like many, I sometimes measure my worth by the quality of my last training effort. And, once again, life and living tell me that this is an invalid metric.

A couple of weeks ago a cyber friend passed away after completing a sea swim. Recently a local friend, amazing athlete and coach, father and husband, and an all around great guy discovered a potentially live changing heart condition.

So when I ponder these events, my frustration at my inability to rapidly change my tire on my Zipp wheel or nail every prescribed power interval seem pretty danged superficial.

In fact all of this training and racing is really a bit minor when considering the big picture. It is merely a hobby that I have the luck of being able to enjoy. There are millions out there who work hard, long jobs to feed and cloth their families, and multitudes of others who would give anything to be able to rise up out of their chairs and/or beds and walk around the block.

So I am thankful for everything that I have, and know that this gift is as much a matter of luck as skill.

Maintaining a perspective reminds me to not get too full of myself and periodically thank the Lord for a fulfilling life.

Take care and thanks for reading.

Trailblazer Sprint Triathlon

2010-06-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

I am a long time fan of the Seattle Mariners baseball team. And this year, like many, if not most, has been a bit trying for this fan. They loose three or four games in a row, and then win one or two. Those wins raise my hopes and spirits, and then the team repeats the loosing cycle.

The spring weather in this part of the world has replicated my Mariners season so far. We have been deluged with rain, and then every few days a bit of magnificent sunshine and clear skies will appear, leading us to believe that the wetness is gone and pleasant weather has returned, only to wake up the next day to a steady down pour.

Luckily this past Saturday was an exceptional weather day with temps in the 70s and clear blue skies. It was a terrific day for the 27th annual Trailblazer Triathlon in Medical Lake, WA and local triathletes were out in force for this sprint tri consisting of a 400 yard swim, 12 mile bike and 3.4 mile run.

The Trailblazer Triathlon is a low key, very economical affair (with a $35 entry fee). Check in involves getting a race number written on top of the left hand and then heading off to wait for the start.

The swim is from one side of Medical Lake to the other.

Racers can either swim across to the start on the other side, or jump in the back of a pickup truck for a short ride to the start.

I chose to swim across for a warm up prior to the race start.

And while I have no idea concerning my swim time, I did seem to finish with a large number of swimmers still in the water behind me, so I take that as a good thing.

Once we come out of the water the bike route is fast and well marked. And while I am still not happy with my low wattage output I did manage to average 21.5 mph.

The run takes us on a single loop around the lake which can be a pleasant, scenic enough run when one is not racing. I did find myself a bit tuckered out as I approached the finish line.

It looks like I am pulling up my drawers a bit to keep my belly from poking out at the start of the run. It also appears that my botox injections need a recharge.

However, it was truly a magnificent day for a race, and I think I shall return next year.

P.S. A big thank you goes to Jessi Thompson who graciously shared her photos and immense photography talents with me.

As always, thank you very much for visiting.

Wendy Buckner, RIP

2010-06-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

I was stunned to hear that the always present, ever positive Wendy Buckner has passed away. She touched many and was one of the very first people to leave a comment on my blog.

Her gentle perspective on life will be missed. Ordinary folks like me are a bit better in knowing her, if only via cyberspace.

I guess if there is any bright side to loosing this spectacular lady, it is in knowing that she passed away doing what she loved - swimming with friends and competitors.

Take care Wendy. You will be missed.

Ode to Coach Scott

2010-06-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Scott is a good friend and coach of the Team Blaze Triathlon Club. He, and a number of other members, trained hard and long to prepare for the Boise IM 70.3 held this past Saturday.

Scott was in prime shape and he came out of the water in a bit over 29 minutes and headed for the bike. As he fought the winds he noticed that things did not feel quite right. Towards the end of the bike he was experiencing a great deal of pain in his gut area.

Scott hobbled off the bike and began the run portion. As the pain got worse he visited a medical tent and the consensus was that he was in the process of passing a kidney stone.

Now Scott is a dedicated athlete and as a result continued onward. Things really got ugly as he ran, walked and hobbled towards the finish line, finishing with a time of 5:40:25.

With apologies to the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine, here is a little ditty in honor of the exploits of Scott.

As I raced the Boise IM 70.3
I began to feel some pain
Yes my gut was aching badly
But the finish was my aim.

So I headed down the road
To meet the PR of my dreams
But that little jagged rock
Would bring me to my knees.

I raced with a painful kidney stone
A painful kidney stone, yes a painful kidney stone
I raced with a painful kidney stone
A painful kidney stone, yes a painful kidney stone.

As I ran and hobbled in sheer agony
That kidney stone was also moving
And its path was not a smooth one
As it tore pieces out of me.

I wanted to BodyGlide my innards
To ease my misery
And the only thing that kept me going
Was seeing the finisher’s medal around the neck of me.

I raced with a painful kidney stone
A painful kidney stone, yes a painful kidney stone
I raced with a painful kidney stone
A painful kidney stone, yes a painful kidney stone

Thank you for visiting.

Jimmy Dean, RIP

2010-06-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Back when I was a youngster this was a favorite song. I remember it well.

As we know, Mr. Dean moved on from singing to sausage making, and was even more successful at that endeavor.

Thank you for visiting.

Relocating the Spark

2010-06-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

In a previous post I over shared a bit in discussing the deep hole I had found myself, training wise. With even a few days off, I found that when I once again jumped back into my full blown training regiment, my fitness, energy and strength seemed to immediately head the wrong direction.

Now after a couple of weeks of backing off, I believe I have once again discovered my spark and mojo. Yesterday, thanks to Steve, I rode 50 miles and hit every major hill I could find in the local area. Several of these were long, steep stand up in the pedals to keep moving forward hills. And each time as I crested the hill, my recovery was fairly quick.

So this morning I went for an easy run with my tri club, Team Blaze Spokane, and enjoyed some terrific Starbucks-based conversation. Although, in full disclosure I suspect that I overstayed my welcome a bit as I kept one friend engaged in discussions well past the time everyone else was home and firmly ensconced in their living rooms.

So I came back with the spark once again relit. I even pulled out my LiveStrong band and put it back on my arm, after a year and a half apart.

I will continue riding and running hills to get stronger, and will push forward, in albeit smaller increments, in my never ending goal to prod these bones into a stronger faster version of me.

It feels good to be alive.

Thank you for visiting.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

This is a repost from a previous Memorial Day.

A three-day weekend is the time for festivity, good times and relaxing, and the Memorial Day weekend represents the beginning of summer, the return of a rejuvenating sun, and long, mellow days to come. However it also represents something much, much more.

On this Memorial Day I hope we can take a moment to remember. Perhaps we can remember and give thanks for the sacrifices of our military during the epic sea battle between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis, on the bayonet charge at Little Round Top, when they sustained the lines at the Argonne Forest, as they came ashore on the bullet swept beaches of Normandy and Iwo Jima, as they maintained the frozen perimeter at Pusan, in the bloody siege of Khe Sanh, in the bitter streets of Fallujah and in the Shahi-Kot Valley.

The United States was founded on the bedrocks of freedom and independence. These concepts are forged in blood and sacrifice in our Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. They resonate with every note and every word in The Battle Hymn of the Republic, The National Anthem and America the Beautiful. To mind-numbing numbers of Americans before us, these concepts are not just abstract philosophies. Tens of thousands of our friends, family members and neighbors gave their very lives in defense of these freedoms and continue to do so today. Many, many more stand on the front lines in far off locations around the world watching, waiting and ready in order to preserve our liberties.

We, as Americans, must never ever forget the ultimate price that was and continues to be paid by others so that we can continue to enjoy the benefits of these freedoms. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters traveled and continue to travel to far off locations with unpronounceable names and leave their broken bodies and spilt blood on these strange, foreign lands. Their bloodstains hallowed that ground forever as they left families and friends to strive to continue on with holes in their hearts, and ancient memories seared in their minds.

So, as we enjoy our barbecues and engage in our fun, please take a moment and really, really listen to that single bugler playing Taps. And then perhaps take just a minute to give silent thanks to those soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have stood in the past and continue to stand ready today to give the ultimate sacrifice.

I hope we never, ever forget the real reason for Memorial Day.

"Your silent tents of green
We deck with fragrant flowers;
Yours has the suffering been,
The memory shall be ours."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow –

And I would also suggest that we include a prayer of thanks for the Brits, Canadians, Australians, and the many others who stood side by side, throughout history, with American military and together marched forward into the breach in the name of liberty and freedom.

As always, thank you very much for reading and take good care of yourselves my friends.

Redirect

2010-05-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here’s a historical truism: Most great men are dicks. Picasso, Napoleon, Tiger Woods. To build an empire – or win seven Tour de Frances in a row – you must have a Lone Star–size ego and a dash of megalomania.
- from a Men’s Journal June/July 2010 article titled Lance’s Revenge by Stephen Rodrick.

When one sets out to establish and accomplish lofty, audacious goals it is often best to initially generate a compelling reason and purpose for those goals. Because the bigger the goal, the more buy in required, and if one is not 100 percent sold on the idea, then the chances of success could be lessoned considerably.

Such is the case when considering entering an IM event. The training will be long and hard, and as the race date approaches, the intensity and magnitude of the training will continue to grow.

And as one completes the day-to-day training, he/she measures his/her fitness and endurance levels in a hopefully dispassionate manner to unemotionally evaluate the current state of the body and the mind.

I had signed up for IM CDA 2010 back in June 2009. Through the winter I accomplished a great deal and made dramatic increases in my levels of fitness and strength. By the time I moved from the off season plan to the IM plan I was a force to be reckoned with.

But then over the past month I began to experience some real retreats in my fitness. Perhaps it was because of the almost vertical ramp up from intensity to volume, but my bicycle power readings got worse and worse. I seemed to have dug myself into a training hole and was unable to extradite myself from it. Bike rides over four hours would get ugly and when a brick run was also attached the result was a long, slow slog. A week or so of easing up a bit on the training only provided a temporary respite.

So, shortly before the partial refund cutoff date, I pulled the plug.

And now, as I have stepped back to a lesser training plan I am again finding the spark and the joy in training. I am once again beginning to enjoy myself and look forward to the pool or the road. Training has moved from drudgery and something to be postponed each day as long as possible to an experience that I once again eagerly anticipate.

I have signed up for some sprint triathlons, and look forward to at least a couple of Olympic distance events as well as a half marathon or two this fall.

And life is once again good, balance is again reached, and the journey is pleasurable.

I think that is how it should be.

Thank you for reading.

Bloomsday 2010

2010-05-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

Bloomsday has once again come and gone and it was a good one. The weather calmed down, the skies cleared and race day met us with magnificent blue skies and pleasant, mild temps – almost perfect racing weather. This year 50,661 runners, walkers and people of all shapes and sizes reached the finish line and obtained their cherished finisher t-shirt.

Can you see me? - I am the one with the white shirt and white hat!

If you recall, few years back I experienced a terrific fall in this race which resulted in some colorful, bloody gashes and an injured hamstring that took me out of IM CDA that year.

As a result, I tend to be a bit paranoid of once again crashing in large crowds. For the first two or three miles of this race I have my eyes wide open and gently guide people away who come a bit too close for my comfort. I take it easier for those first few miles than I have done in the past and as a result my Bloomsday running times reflect my more moderate goals.

After those first few miles when the crowd starts to thin (thinning crowds are relative when one races with 50 thousand plus) I picked up the pace a bit and had my fastest mile split of the race in mile 7.

My overall time for the 7.45 mile race was 1:03:28 which is almost ten minutes slower than my best times of a few years ago. However, I made it through the race unscathed, and was able to enjoy the crowds, bands, weather, friends and life.

And with that I consider Bloomsday 2010 a rousing success.

Thank you for visiting.

Bloomsday 2010 and the Effects of Not Training

2010-04-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

This coming Sunday marks the 34th running of Bloomsday, a 12k local road race with 50 thousand registered this year and what just happens to be the largest timed road race in the world!

And although I am not specifically training for this race (and have a tough three hour bike ride scheduled for the day prior) I always look forward to participating in this terrific event. The streets come alive with vibrant athletes of all shapes and sizes and the riot of colorful lycra is not to be missed.

Here’s hoping for a dry day with semi cool temps!

Speaking of training and athletes, even superheroes must continue to train if they wish to maintain their svelte, buff figure. Here is what happens when one lets himself go a bit.

Thank you for visiting.

Swimming Help for the Slow and Needy

2010-04-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

First a disclaimer – I now avoid masters swimming because I am so slow that my pedestrian pace can cause me to be cited for impeding traffic in my lane, as well as slowing down adjacent lanes as those swimmers pause to see what is causing the pile up.

I do work hard and follow specific training instructions provided by the esteemed coaches of Endurance Nation – I just now do my training in the daytime when there are few other swimmers besides older, graceful ladies performing the sidestroke while keeping their perfect perms completely dry.

Recently our local triathlon club coach recommended the purchase of a Wetronome ($85 through Swim Smooth). This little yellow device is pretty cool.

It comes with two water proof pieces:

The larger piece fits under the swim cap or the goggle strap and beeps a cadence to a speed per minute that is set by the user.

The second, smaller piece is used to tap on the first piece to both wake it, put it to sleep, and set the cadence.

I have been using the Wetronome for a few weeks now and have become very comfortable relying on it to maintain my cadence during my longer interval sessions.

After some experimentation on pacing via various cadences, I found what I think to be my sweet spot, set the unit and with each beep my hand enters the water. I have set the cadence at a rate that allows me to time the entry of each hand to the beep.

This little tool helps me maintain a rock solid, steady pace, and when the sessions call for increasing my pace, I just tap the bigger piece with the smaller piece to set the different pace, and within seconds I am on my way.

I recently asked techie/triathlete/Renaissance Man/world traveler/course referee extraordinaire DC Rainmaker on the legality of swimming with this tool in a WTC sanctioned IM event. He pointed me to a recent conversation with the head WTC referee who stated that it is illegal to race with anything that is placed in an athlete’s ear.

Since this unit does not fit in my ear, my assumption is that I am safe to slip it under my swim cap and wear it in races.

There is one drawback. As I swim with the beeping sound in my ear, I imagine myself to be Tick-Tock, the crocodile from Peter Pan. If you remember, Tick-Tock swallowed the arm of Captain Hook, and also ingested the good captain’s alarm clock, and for ever more was unable to sneak up on his prey because they could hear the ticking of the clock long before the crocodile arrived on the scene.

Thank you for visiting.

A New Hat and Shoes

2010-04-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

Today I put the new shoes on my bike that I had purchased a couple of months ago. The new shoes, combined with a fancy new hat should at least make me look good while I am out enjoying the sunshine tomorrow.

Thank you for visiting.

Peering Over the Edge

2010-04-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article on a bike racer who reaches to the edge and well beyond.

Thank you for visiting.

Crappy Rides

2010-04-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, before I really began understanding watts and riding with power on the bike I traveled down the road in relative bliss. I would put in the requisite miles, hit enough hills so that the sweat dripped into my eyes, feel the burn in my legs and call it good.

Now I measure a number of metrics to evaluate the quality of my bike rides. Intensity Factor (IF) and Variability Index (VI) are two measurements that can cause me either joy or grief, depending on where they fall on my own personal scale for that day’s ride.

This past weekend put a couple of my rides into the grief column. I had planned to ride the IM CDA course on Saturday, but discovered that it was raining and cool in Coeur d’Alene while the sun was shining brightly in my neck of the woods. So I rode from home.

I have always thought my local riding route offered a stout workout, but after Saturday’s four hour ride, and then Sunday’s three hour effort, I can only give it a C.

While there are a many solid up hill portions, there are also large numbers of down hills, and these areas are what causes my IF numbers to fall and my VI numbers to rise. IF measures intensity, and my goal was to hit at least a number in the low .80 area. Instead I rode a .68 on Saturday and a .667 on Sunday. That means that for each day’s ride, I was not pushing hard enough to generate much of a training effort.

Correspondingly, my VI numbers were very high. VI measures the variability of effort on each ride, and as a triathlete, my goal is to stay as close to 1.0 as possible. Saturday’s ride generated a VI of 1.18 and Sunday’s ride clocked in at 1.13. These higher numbers indicate large spikes and troughs in my wattage output and have a definite impact on my ability to run off the bike, and I could feel the effort in my quads during my brick run on Saturday.

So next weekend I am once again off to CDA where I can measure my efforts on the race course and will hopefully produce some power numbers that generate a bit more joy.

Thank you for reading.

Happy Easter

2010-04-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to all (and I trust everyone enjoyed April Fools Day in reference to my previous post).

Thank you for visiting.

A Race to Remember

2010-04-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

Here is an upcoming local race that was just announced today. Even if one does not wish to participate, it may be worthwhile to come out and watch, or perhaps volunteer as a body marker.

Race officials have just announced the 1st Annual Race in the Buff through the streets of Spokane, WA to be held in July 2010.

This will be a sprint distance triathlon where no clothing, other than bike helmets, and running and bike shoes will be allowed. The race will start with a fast swim across the Spokane River starting at the carousel.

Naked athletes will then scurry up the river bank and jump into bike shoes and helmets and onto their bikes at T1 at the clock tower. The bike portion will take the bare bunned riders across the bridge, past the Convention Center and down Spokane Falls Blvd to Division St. Roads will be open to traffic so athletes are urged to exercise caution.

Then a quick turn down Sprague Ave and another turn will bring the nude athletes back to Riverfront Park where they will find T2.

The triathletes will then began a 3.1 mile run before finishing up back in front of the Clock Tower.

Since this is a nude event, numbers will be printed on each athlete’s belly and buttocks area via a Sharpie. The athlete's race number will be printed on the right buttocks and his/her age will be printed on the left buttocks.

Awards will be provided three deep in a number of age groups.

This event will be limited to 250 athletes so I urge everyone to watch for further information.

Stay tuned and don’t forget the sun block and Body Glide!

Thank you for visiting.

Outside

2010-03-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a good one.

I started the day off by helping a bit at our triathlon club’s mini tri at the local YMCA. Counting laps for swimmers then conversing with the athletes as they rode stationary bikes makes for a nice morning.

Then it was time to make the short drive to Coeur d’Alene, ID to meet up with some old and new friends for a one loop bike ride of the IM CDA course.

This would be my third out door bike ride since last fall and far and away my longest in both distance and mileage. I was very interested to see how these old bones would hold up after a winter of much, much shorter, albeit more intense rides.

It is always good to ride with riders who are faster than me. Add to that fact that these were veritable youngsters compared to this old guy, and I had my work cut out for me.

The day was magnificent and perfect for a ride – sunny skies with temps in the fifties.

After some polite conversation we began hitting it hard. The faster ones left me in the dust at each hill, and then I would hustle and push to make up lost ground once we hit the flats. My personal test was to measure how I felt at the top of each hill, and if I had the spark in my legs to continue pushing to bridge the gap with the other riders.

I was very impressed with how I felt. I could catch up with the other riders and even move to the front and pull for a while. It was a true sufferfest and I enjoyed every minute.

The result was 55 miles of excellent riding and my legs felt good and strong throughout.

It does not get much better than that.

Thank you for reading.

Saturday Morning

2010-03-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

My off season training has gone well. Tomorrow I finish up week 20 of my 20 week plan, take a couple of weeks of easier, transitioning workouts, and then hit IM CDA 2010 hard for the following 12 weeks.

Meanwhile I have been lamenting at my inability to loose any weight over the off season. I really need to loose 10 pounds before IM CDA and so far I have lost a grand total of . . . zero pounds!

This morning, in an effort to drown my weight loss sorrows, I found myself eating a large bowl of ice cream while watching the latest episode of Parenthood that I had recorded.

Of course ice cream generates additional decisions. Should I put chocolate, caramel or strawberry topping on my ice cream?

This presents a real dilemma! I thought about it for a while and made a decision. I logically piled all three toppings on the ice cream.

It sure tastes terrific and I will soon be ready for the pool.

And my weight loss issues – I will worry about them tomorrow!

Thank you for visiting.

Crash

2010-03-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

I am basically a clumsy guy. I trip over bumps in sidewalks and have had my share of falls while running on trails. So it is time once again for my annual (hopefully) crash.

Yesterday I was a couple miles from my house as I finished up a 1.5 hour run with three one mile Z4 intervals in the mix. I was feeling good as, once again, I began to get used to the longer runs.

My current running route takes me on a bumpy road and in a moment of inattention down I went. I sprawled out on the road, then moved over to the side and sat on some grass while I inventoried my injuries. There seemed to be no structural damage so I got back up and finished my run.

The only serious damage was to my pride. Of course I am also worried that I won’t be quite as pretty for a while at least.

Thank you for visiting.

The Olympics

2010-03-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

These past 17 days of Olympics action have been tough on me. As a result of the broadcasting network decision making process, those of us on the left coast of the US were forced to stay up well past our bedtimes in order to view events that were recorded earlier (within our time zone!) and most of the rest of the world had already seen. I can’t tell you how many times I inadvertently viewed a tweet from someone further east commenting on an Olympics event that I would not see for a few more hours.

Oh well – enough whining.

I loved the Vancouver Olympics – every aspect from the opening ceremonies and their technical difficulties to the humorous remake of that torch problem to Neil Young singing and the giant inflated beavers and moose and the little guy dressed up like a hockey puck. What is not to love?

However the athletes are what makes the event so amazing and magnificent. Day after day I watched in awe as athletes, after years of focus, dedication and hard work brought their talents and skills to a sharpened edge for the world to see. And there was no disappointment from my perspective.

I was overcome with emotion as the Canadian figure skater performed her short program only two days after the tragic death of her mother. I was mesmerized at how the downhill skiers would force their bodies forward in amazing speeds down a mountain covered by a sheet of ice. I enjoyed the half pipers who remind me of the young kids in parking lots throughout the world practicing their skateboarding craft.

And I hope I am able to retain a bit of that Olympic athlete focus as I look forward to IM CDA 2010 and beyond. I really want to maintain that spirit and not forget what I saw in February 2010 as I try to avoid the extra piece of cake and push to reach a bit higher and harder as I work to remold my body into a fitter me.

And, while this may be the last I look at luge, bobsled, speed skating and the rest until four more years from now, I hope the magnificence and excellence of those athletes remains in my inner core, if only to percolate up periodically when things get a bit tough, as I know they will, in my upcoming training and racing.

In conclusion, sport and athleticism are truly marvels that bring out the very best in a select few. The rest of us can watch in wonder and awe and be thankful that we are alive and living through such a stupendous, phenomenal moment. It truly is excellence in action. Hopefully some of us can bottle that spirit as we go through our day-to-day lives.

Thank you for visiting.

Misc

2010-02-27T08:23:00.000-08:00

My wife and I were making our periodic pilgrimage to Costco the other day and came across a small chest freezer. We own a larger, standup freezer that stays virtually empty most of the year except for a number of water filled milk jugs to help save energy.

Our annual use of our current freezer happens just before Thanksgiving each year, when I scope out the sales on turkeys and buy two of the biggest I can find for the holidays.

But the truth is that our need for a larger freezer has dwindled considerably.

So here we were, in the bowels of the behemoth retailer Costco, considering the purchase of a much smaller model.

My wife had drifted off to other parts of the store and I was evaluating the freezer. As I looked it over a nice, elderly lady eased up along side me in her wheel chair and asked if I was going to buy said freezer.

I told her that we were very seriously considering the purchase and she began attempting to talk me out of our decision. She informed me that it was way too small and a larger, adjacent model would be much better suited for us. She went on to tell me that she had bought the bigger model because her daughter provides her with a half of a deer each year.

I told her that I appreciated her input and mentioned that we do not presently have anyone dropping off large amounts of deer meat at our door.

In other news I had a life changing event occur after my evening YMCA swim yesterday. I had finished, picked up my towel and other stuff, and was headed for the locker room. A man was sitting on a bench waiting for his young child to finish her swim lessons and he asked me about my breathing during my swim.

He commented that he was impressed with how smoothly I swam and on my ability to bilaterally breathe while swimming lap after lap. I was stunned – I consider myself similar to a clumsy barge grinding through the water. I was a bit taken back by his comments and found myself out of words.

I thanked him and headed off to the locker room with a smile on my face and a spring in my step.

. . . now if I could only do something about my total lack of speed in the pool.

As always, thank you for visiting.

Ebb and Flow

2010-02-21T09:01:00.000-08:00

There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.
Leonard Cohen

Yesterday was one of contrasts for me. I had initially planned on traveling to the other side of the state to attend a funeral service for a friend’s wife. They were and are both in their 40s; fairly young by my measurements. However, logistics and the illness of another friend caused me to miss the trip.

The gentleman’s wife passed away after a one year, very difficult fight with cancer, leaving beyond four amazing children and a grieving husband. In reading the obituary I was in awe of the family’s trust in God and their strong, unshakeable belief that the Lord had called this young mother and wife home for a reason.

Meanwhile, on this side of the state our triathlon club was holding its kickoff meeting, and 80 plus people gathered for comradeship, great conversation and cake and coffee. Everyone was excited about getting together with old friends, planning training events, and signing up for races in the upcoming season.

Our club president welcomed everyone with gusto and the entire event was one of joy, enthusiasm and excitement.

Perhaps the best way we can remember those we lost is to live a full, happy life for as many years as the good Lord gives us here on earth.

Thank you for visiting.

Toasted

2010-02-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

As I have eluded too in previous posts, my training during this off season has been the toughest, most brutal I have ever experienced so far. Each week I strive to crush myself on the bike with huge numbers of intervals at well above functional threshold power, between short rest segments.

My runs have involved the same types of efforts with repeated intervals at Z4 and Z5 speed efforts.

This training effort is a part of a 20 week off season plan. And then to make things interesting I joined the Endurance Nation Power Clinic group which provided six weeks of even more bike intensity starting at week 10 of my off season plan.

Apparently my body has had all the fun it can take. Last week I started crumbling. My 120% of functional threshold power intervals became efforts at a much lower level. This week called for a brutal test to measure my progress which I was unable to maintain and complete.

My body was telling me it was time for a break. So I backed off and have been taking it easy this week. A couple of lower effort rides, runs and swims are the extent of my effort.

And I can feel my body start to recover. I will continue in the recovery mode for the remainder of this week and starting next week I will jump back into the off season plan.

On Monday it is hi ho, hi ho, it's off from work I go! Four more weeks of the off season plan and then I transition into preparing for IM CDA 2010!

Is this fun or what?

Thank you for visiting.

Nike

2010-02-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

Say what you will, Nike makes danged cool, motivating commercials.

Here is their latest.

Thank you for visiting.

Happy Birthday Bob!

2010-02-06T18:15:00.001-08:00

We miss you buddy.

Bob Marley
February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981

Thank you for visiting.

Intensity

2010-01-29T18:55:00.000-08:00

This off season has generated a different level of training for me. As one who views life through the eyes of the horse in Animal Farm (I will work harder), the past few months have been a leap of faith.

Rather than my previous years’ off season training involving relatively comfortable hours of riding my bike on the trainer split between long, easy runs, this winter has provided me with boatloads of intensity – both while running on the roads and riding my bike on its trainer.

My longest bike ride during this off season has been one hour and forty minutes and my longest run as been less than 90 minutes. The shorter workouts have found me drenched and dripping with sweat and drooling on my bike computer as I push to maintain sustained wattage numbers higher than I have ever hit in the past. The runs treat me to racing heart rates and jagged breathing as I push to maintain a Z5 pace up and down hills as I work to reach the end of the prescribed interval.

And all indications are that I am getting stronger – both mentally and physically.

While I make no claim to being a particularly spectacular athlete, these efforts have given me a new sense of appreciation and awe towards those who are professional triathletes. Each day they get out and push beyond their comfort levels. Week after week they carefully measure metrics and celebrate micro improvements while monitoring their food intake and sleeping hours. They calculate where and what they can modify to give them the edge they seek while working to stay a step back from the ledge of excess.

And they do this day after day, month after month and year after year via often monk like living. There seems to be no room for lollygagging in the upper reaches where the truly successful athlete lives and competes.

And so, I get up each morning and run Z5 intervals or ride consecutive splits at 120% of my current FTP in the hope of generating an improvement of a few more watts without passing out on my bike trainer or a few seconds per mile in my run times. Then I stagger up the stairs out of my basement or back into my house.

And as I cool down I am already looking forward with anticipation towards tomorrow’s workout schedule.

Thank you for visiting.

Cheeks Ahoy!

2010-01-20T14:27:00.001-08:00

I'm thinking that winter temps might just be a tad too brisk to be heading down a bobsled run after this malfunction.

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Strictly Commercial

2010-01-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

In honor of the Tour Down Under which started today, here is an Australian television commercial from those creative Aussies.

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Older

2010-01-12T13:16:00.000-08:00

Each of us is, as the late Dr. George Sheehan once said, an experiment of one. And while I am not one to look in the rear view mirror and lament over past glories, I can take that as fact. I ran a sub 40 minute 10k back in 1982 and know that I will never see that again. Does it bother me? – no – not really. I look forward as I train to see what I can accomplish going forward. I enjoy considering the possibilities.

Moving into the 60 – 64 age group has been a bit sobering in that when television talking heads prognosticate on stock market performance over the coming decade it does occur to me that in ten years I will be an old guy, if in fact I am still around.

As a financial planner in a previous life I tend to believe in the three phases of retirement. The first phase is the active one – we will feel good as we travel and/or continue racing and enjoy life even more now that we have the time.

The second phase is where we slow down. While physically we may still be fairly healthy, a bit of the robustness will have departed and we tend to look at traveling and being busy as perhaps more trouble than it is worth. The efforts to accomplish the things we did just a few years ago now leave us tired. We turn a bit inward as we become even more comfortable in our cocoon and enjoy watching and discussing more than doing.

The final phase is often accompanied by large physical and mental declines. Health bills tend to rise dramatically as the end of our days loom larger and larger. Managed care may be necessary.

I consider myself an athlete. I measure my numbers right along with everyone else and continue to work to get faster and stronger. I listen to my body and while I rarely, if ever, miss a workout or a prescribed effort, when the time comes to back off a bit, I do it, and then head forward once again.

I believe that to ignore our changing bodies in our efforts to train and race is a mistake. And to lament over past glories is also a mistake. I plan on continuing to enjoy life and living and training for many years to come.

I make adjustments and continue pushing, albeit perhaps in a bit of a different direction, and perhaps with a tad less volume, but at this point in my life, I am not prepared to quit. To quit is to admit defeat and I am not ready to do that just yet.

Thank you for visiting.

Miscellaneous

2010-01-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

Today I took down the outside Christmas decorations. I always look forward to this task. It is not that I don’t enjoy the holidays – I do – I just like getting back to normal.

This year as I mentioned in a previous post, I enter my sixth decade on this rock. That is a bit sobering. If I analyze things, as I am wont to do, I can calculate that not withstanding a major accident, I have a danged good chance of making it to the next decade. However, I suspect as I move into the 2020s the odds of seeing daylight for very many years after that point began to drop dramatically.

Now, this is definitely not something to loose a great deal of sleep over. It does, however, remind me that I need to continue to enjoy life and living as much as possible, because I only have once chance at this ride.

My off season training continues onward. I am finishing up week nine of a 20 week off season training plan and am enjoy it very much. I continue to follow the Endurance Nation metrics and power based training efforts and the key is shorter, much more intense workouts. I am pushing hard on the bike and the run and my efforts are at levels that I have not previously experienced.

The net result so far is that the mix of high intensity and shorter efforts are toasting my legs and leaving me feeling stronger. This is definitely a leap of faith for me with this direction in off season training and I do believe my upcoming IM training will be better for it.

And I also believe that I stand a solid chance of achieving my ultimate goal of beating my previous IM time at IM CDA 2010!

Thank you for visiting.

Aging Up

2009-12-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

I was at the local YMCA pool the other day and had just finished showering and dressing after a session in the pool.

As I came out of the locker room I ran into an acquaintance who often swims the same time as me. We engaged in small talk and the conversation moved towards triathlon training. I explained the concept of age group racing and told him that since I turn 60 next September, for racing purposes I will be in the 60 – 64 age group on January 1, 2010.

He looked me up and down and then commented, “I would never have guessed that you were much older than fifty!”

I took that as a compliment.

Thank you for visiting.

Santa Was Good to Me

2009-12-26T12:13:00.000-08:00

With a bit of a prod and push I managed to convince Santa that I really needed some new wheels for the 2010 race season.

Now I need to dramatically raise my level of training so I will be worthy of these magnificent wheels and keep from embarrassing myself.

Thank you for visiting.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

Everything they say we are we are,
and we are very proud of ourselves.
Jefferson Airplane

Dear Blog Brothers and Sisters,

Another year has passed, another Christmas is upon us, and I hope that each of you has a litany of reasons to be thankful for involving living, laughter, good times and good friends.

I wish the very best for you and yours and hope that you have a wondrous Christmas and a gratifying, fulfilling New Year. As we move forward in life, looking towards less hair on our heads and more sprouting from our noses, ears and shoulders, coupled with gravity taking its toll, I hope that fine memories encompass an ever larger piece of the real estate in the warm spaces of your heart.

May you experience happiness and good health and achieve all you set out to do. May you live life with joy, excitement and spirit, and appreciate the thrill of each moment and the best it has to offer. May you continue your journey with gentleness in your heart and fire in your belly and may you never loose the primal urge to rock.

Peace and happiness to all,

Your tri buddy,

Al

Today was good.
Today was fun.
Tomorrow is another one.
Dr. Seuss

Wishing You a Guitar Hero Christmas!

2009-12-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you for visiting.

Triathlon Team Membership Renewal

2009-12-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

As is the custom, it is time once again to renew my membership in a great, local triathlon club that actually allows me to associate with them. This year the club offers an online registration and renewal form that is much easier and faster than in previous years.

In completing the renewal form the club asks for some insight into my experience and level of expertise in sports and triathlon. Here is what I said:

I am an extremely good looking, buff, hard bodied male with a thick luxurious head of hair and an IQ that is off the charts. I possess that rare combination of fast twitch and slow twitch muscles that generates an amazing level of both speed and endurance that leaves all of my rivals in the dust, wondering what hit them. Men envy me and women lust for me.

Dogs and cats instinctively know that I am their friend. Global leaders search me out for the key to world peace. Al Gore hounds me for insight into resolving global warming.

I have just completed the great American novel. I wrote Sympathy for the Devil, Stand by Your Man, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Hey Macarena! I invented the iPhone, the hula hoop and the Twix bar. Business leaders beg me for wisdom and guidance and the Pope has me on speed dial.

I am just, fair and most of all I am humble.

I just wanted to be honest.

Thank you for visiting.

I’m Cool

2009-12-08T09:16:00.001-08:00

As you can see from the above photo taken this morning of the thermometer outside our kitchen window, the weather has turned just a tad brisk up here in the hinterlands over the past couple of days.

Today I am scheduled for a brick run after a bike trainer ride and will probably wait until later this afternoon when the temps should hit a balmy 112 degrees before I head out.

In other news, here is a shot of the gang at the Turkey Trot from Thanksgiving Day. As you can see most of us are wearing our club finery. And yes, John, the fellow in yellow in front is sporting a couple of black eyes. It seems he and another club member had a misunderstanding involving swim lane etiquette a few days before this photo was taken.

I just completed week five of a 20 week offseason training plan and am feeling stronger. While the workouts are shorter, each usually involves a great deal of high intensity. This means I sweat buckets when on my bike and usually navigate the stairs back up out of the basement on wobbly legs. But it is all good stuff.

Thank you for visiting.

My Christmas List

2009-12-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

My Christmas list is pretty short . . .

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