Back to the long run

Today marks the start of my phantom marathon training.
I call it a phantom marathon because I have no intension of running a spring marathon.
I will run the Rite Aid half marathon.

My first long run was a planned 2-2:20hr. Ended up with 2:22. Actual running time was more like 2:10. about 12 miles.
My plan was to run from my house to Jack Carney's. If the side walks were accessible it would be 9 miles. today it was 12 uphill miles. The only down hill was over an icy trail at Euclid Creek. That was immediately followed by a steep ice covered uphill. Fun.
I was accompanied by my new 2G Sony MP3 player. 'bout as big as my thumb. Very Cool.
Tough run, but I feel good.

In the pool Steve has been giving me more instruction. I have been doing a lot of drills.
I would rather swim wrong. That is why I have to do so many drills. So that I will swim correctly and enjoy it......I always have to do things my way.......Well my way isn't going to help me in the Ironman, So I have to do drills.
I am done pouting.....

Yesterday the long bike ride was 2:20 while watching the Hulk.
Reveiw:
The Hulk was 12 minutes shy of my 2hr and 30 minute ride.
When the Hulk freaks, It is a good time to hammer.
Other wise this film is not very good.

Hair

Hair is a funny thing to me.
When I was younger, I had very long hair.
At its longest it reached the middle of my back. My public identity was closely tied to my hair length. My hair was always a topic of conversation when meeting new peaple. On stage it was a great prop. It ticked my folks off.
My hair was hard to take care of. As I became a runner it became less comfortable.The police, employers and people seeking drugs would assume that I had drugs becouse I wore my hair long. My hair was something I maintained for no other reason than I was afraid to cut it. It was part of who I was.
In March of 1995 I came home from work, grabbed the clippers and told my roommate to shave it off. It was a liberating experience. I was bald and there was nothing I could do about it except to let it grow.
I continue my spring shave now as marathon and Tri season gets started every year.
I make the choice to shave off my hair.

Many people do not have that choice.
Many of them are kids undergoing chemotherapy.

At AJ Rocco's(my place of work) we host an event every St Paddys day to raise money for cancer research. The idea of the event is to get friends and family and fellow bloggers to sponsor you to have your head shaved. We also drink ALOT.
Our event has raised over $400k during the past 4 years for the St Baldricks foundation. Nationwide the event has raised 20million.
Originally I had planned to grow my hair up to IM UK and shave pre-race. But after thinking about it I remembered that the idea of the event is sacrifice.
So today I changed my mind and have decided to shave on March 17th.
I would encourage everyone to take part. The easiest way to do so is to go here (St Baldicks) and donate.
On St Patricks day, I will take part in a public Shaving at AJ Rocco's 816 W. Huran Cleveland Ohio.
Come on down for the fun, Or.....Come on down and get shaved with me.
Lets find a cure.

Peace and baldness....

Above the rest

I have always wanted to trust you. I have always had to trust you.

The power you have in my life is greater than any other persons.

The influence you have on the people I love

and the place I live is without equal.

Your decisions affect my life, freedom, and security

Our relationship is strained now. I struggle to trust you.

I no longer have confidence in your motives.

I want to believe in you.

But I can't shake the memory of you shaking your finger in my face as you denied an affair.

You pled ignorance to a deal you should have known about.

You claimed you were not a crook and then you pardoned yourself.

You promised you would not demand more money and then you did.

You retreated to your garden in the face of fear.

You played with my fears to manipulate me into supporting your attacks on others.

You promised to protect me. Yet I feel no safer.

I feel as though your agenda is clouded by your desire for power.

Sometimes I believe you are sincere.

Sometimes I think you truly care for my welfare.

I know your decisions are very difficult.

I know that the impact of your decisions will affect many lives both good and bad.

Once in awhile, I think you are really trying to do the right thing.

But mostly I think you are so distracted that you fail to ever take us in a positive path.

I am and always will be very critical of you.

The expectations I have for you are huge.

From you I expect compassion, strength, honesty, wisdom, humility, bravery, and heroism.

When you fail, it is difficult to forgive you. When you fail, we have all failed.

I want for you to succeed. I want history to remember you for leaving the world a better place.

I want us to build on this beautiful foundation that was left before our generations.

I am not happy with you now. You often embarrass me.

I think my frustration comes from the knowledge that I chose you.

I chose you because I felt that you reflected who I was and what I wanted.

I get upset because your failures reflect the same failures in me.

I expect you to be better than you have been.

I expect integrity of the highest level from you.

But I know that you are only a reflection of who I am.

We have a lot of work ahead. We have a lot of room to grow.

The choices we make in every part of our lives will have an impact on every thing on this planet.

As I expect you to represent me,

so must I be?
Happy Presidents Day

Chilli Bowl Race Recap

I love the 5k. It was how I fell in love with endurance sports to begin with. The 5k can be a brutal distance if you really race it.

Who was tougher? Mark Allen, Bill Rogers, Lance Armstrong, Or Steve Prefontaine. They are all American legends. But Pre was all about gut. The 5k demands no less than the spirit of Pre, no matter what your level is. If you don't Puke you didn't try. Start fast and build steadily until you are on the edge of blowing up, hold it to the 3 mile mark and then sprint for the finish. The 5k is heavy metal.

My race today began at 7. I woke up. Brushed my teeth. I got dressed. Got some coffee. and waited for Kirk and Sandy To pick me up. They are a couple of friends I met while bar-tending. They have been marathoning for the last couple of years. Very good people. I like them a lot. We all signed up for the race on Thursday.

So Anyhow, they pick me up at 7:41 and we head west. and arrive at 10 after 8. We get our bib numbers, chips, and SWEATSHIRTS, sit down and get ready.

The race was to start at 9:30, So we had lots of time to relax, attach numbers, "loose weight" and warmup. We jogged with pickups for about 10 minutes. I stripped down to my tights, the new top and the CTC jersey, and headed for the start.

We lined up in the back of he pack and anxiously waited for the gun to sound. 9:30 hit and....nothing. It was cold. and we were starting to seriously cool down. I began my weird bouncy hippy dance in an effort to stay warm. The past couple of weeks we have spent in the freezer has given me the opportunity to really hone this display while waiting for traffic lights to change.

Finally at 9:34 a bell rings and 600 runners begin to slowly move forward. within 45 seconds I crossed the line and followed another runner as we weaved through the crowd toward the front. My race plan was going well. I was running hard, but had more. for the first mile, I continually increased speed and hit the first mile in :07.45 . I was still moving forward through the crowd and was running somewhat possessed. I kept digging deeper and deeper and never broke. At the 3 mile mark, I dug in and sprinted.

Finish time 23.01, 7.25 per mile pace. top 25% overall and in my age group.
Not a PR, but certainly a return to form that re enforces my training and diet.

After the race, I showered and jumped on a bus to my gig.
The plan was door to door service on the 7x.
Reality was that Richmond was the end of the line. Two miles shy of the Mayfield Library. Sidewalks were inaccessible so I trudged up Wilson mills in the road during a snow storm with my guitar. Fortunately I was not run over.

Anyhow, the gig was a blast. The format was a songwriters circle. Charley Brown, Brian Henke, Jim Snyvley and myself would each do a song, talk about it and pass. We have all worked together for years, so the bonds are strong and the personal interplay is very natural. These shows are always memorable. My friends are amazingly talented musicians. I am very lucky to be considered their peer.

After the gig I went to Tommy's and had dinner. I forgot to mention ,"no cheese please." Oops.
I won't obsess over it.
I am a bit sore. I ran hard, and I can feel it.
I will spin a bit, go to bed, and Swim in the morning.

One last thing.
The CTC women out ran the CTC men and brought home lots of hardware.
Congrats to all who raced.
Let the season begin.

The Commute

Nobody moved. The BP building had vanished into the sky. Wheels spun. Tempers flared. Everybody wanted out. They were trapped. 20 minute commutes turned into 4 hr journeys.
This storm was special.
I was on foot and looking for a bus to get out of town. I ran into an old coworker from the Arabica. Jason and I decided that the rapid was the best bet to get past the kaos of the roads. We headed west on Euclid toward Tower City. The sidewalks were tough going and my shoes were the worst choice next to a running shoe I could have worn. We stopped to help a blind man navigate the journey.
Once at the tower I grabbed a big cup of coffee at Caribou for the ride. We showed our passes and in 40 minutes I got a refill on Coventry.
Soon after getting home I suited up and headed into the heart of the blizzard for a little jog.
I love these storms. Everything is silent, no body's out, and the running is a great workout.
My face stung from the wet snow and wind. Most roads were untouched by plows. The uphills demanded that you dig in as your feet would slip with every step. This run really forced me to accept the circumstances of the weather, suck it up, and run with purpose.
Tough run workouts usually end with me running directly into The Mint Cafe for Thai food. It is comfort food for me.
The women at the counter always asks me about my running. She is a runner but doesn't run in temps below 50degrees.
Tonight the conversation went something like this.
"Charlie, did you go running?."
I answer "I did, it is beautiful. Nobody is out."
To which she replies,"That is because they are not crazy, Charlie."
Feeling bested by her wit, I went home to eat my food.
After dinner I decided to go grab a beer and watched the storm through the big window s at McNulty's.
Funny thing happens on Coventry during big weather events and blackouts. Everyone starts drinking.
I was convinced of the impending snowday. Boy did we get silly. Went to bed and woke 4 hrs later to Zac saying that we were gonna be open.
Good news was that I didn't have to work till 10am. The bus was on time. Got to leave at 2pm. It was an easy day and we had fun.
After work, I went for another run to survey the disaster.
Awesome!
Blizzards are fun. This was a good one.

The Water Bearer

(The Sun is in Aquarius from approximately January 20 to February 18, depending on the year).

One of the standout characteristics of those born under the Sun Sign of Aquarius is their unwillingness to follow the beaten track. With advancement and progress on their minds, there can be an irreverence to old and outdated ways of thinking and doing things.

Many Aquarius's aim to free themselves of personal and social conditioning. Although open to change in theory, Aquarius's can be surprisingly stubborn. Their idealism runs strong, but they can be very fixed in their opinions.

Often a bit aloof and even standoffish, Aquarius's nonetheless are usually well-liked. They are curious and observant, and tolerant in a broad sense. Prejudice and bias is offensive to the typical Aquarius.

Aquarius's are generally very clever, witty, and intellectual. They value progress and frankness. It's difficult to throw Aquarius's for a loop—they're generally on top of things.

There is a bit of reformer in Aquarius. They'll try to get you to see through superficiality, and encourage you to be open and forthright. "Be true to yourself" and "Don't follow the crowd" are motto's we easily associate with this sign.

Aquarius's need space and value personal freedom. Any attempt to box them in will likely fail. They'll happily return the favor; and they will treat people from all walks of life as equals. Equality and fairness are hallmarks of the sign. If you're quirky and "different", all the better.

The symbol for Aquarius is the Water Bearer, symbolically and eternally giving life and spiritual food to the world. The water from the vessel washes away the past, leaving room for a fresh, new start. The sign of Aquarius is forward-looking and growth-oriented. Concerned with equality and individual freedom, Aquarius seeks to dispense its knowledge, and its vision of equality and individuality, to all.

individualistic, assertive, independent, humanitarian, inventive, original, eccentric, opinionated, intellectual, idealistic, cool, friendly, detached

-printed from http://www.cafeastrology.com/zodiacaquarius.html

Yep, I am a classic Aquarius. I turn 39 today.
It was a nice day. Lot's of love via the net. Had dinner with every Mosbrook living in Cleveland...I miss you Susie and Sarah. If you are checking in on the blog.

My folks gave me a passport and money purse for the trip across the pond. They also gave me a new wallet w/a little something to buy new pants with...The waist line change makes my pants look clown like.

My bro' gave me a nice long sleeve shirt for running. I shall debut it at the Chili bowl as a base.
My sister and niece created some tasty strawberry treats. Yum.

My mom created a pizza bar including a full vegan offering and an apple crisp. Pizza craving has been satisfied.

The gig Friday was awesome. Full house while Duane Wade and LBJ dueled down the street.
Rob, Jack, Eric, and Nathan from CTC were on hand. The night was a really special one. The music was fun.
Two more gigs this week. A 7pm set Thursday at Rocco's, and a songwriter show at the Mayfield Library on Sat at 1pm.

I am going lite on the workouts this week. Get healthy, race hard Sat. Long bike Sun., and Begin the marathon training the next week.

The water from the vessel washes away the past, leaving room for a fresh, new start.
I Better get the Fuel belt and AeroDrink ready. I've got some water to carry this year.
-Peace-

What I do Best.

I am a singer and guitarist. This is something I really enjoy and that I am good at.
You can hear me at http://www.charliemosbrook.com/
Why do I bring this up?

Because I will be performing this Friday(Feb.9th at AJ Rocco's, 816 W. Huron.)
The show start at 8:00pm.
Maybe I will see you there.

Newby

I read the word "Newby" somewhere and immediately thought of Ironman's most dominant champion.

The word that refers to an athlete who is new to the sport also refers to a legend in triathlon.

Paula Newby-Fraser .

The thought made me think of the other greats like Heather Fuhr, Natasha Badman, Lori Bowden and Julie Moss.

I thought of Dave Scott and Mark Allen. Peter Reid, Mike Pigg and all the other greats of multisport.

The thought made me remember that all of the greats were were once Newby's. That every one of those athletes had a first race, a first Ironman, and a lot to learn. They were all newbies.

ITU stars like Hunter Kemper and Emma Snowsill have been in triathlon from a young age. They however both crossed over at some point. They were newbies

I remember growing up with baseball and football always being in my life. I couldn't tell you when I was ever a new to these games. But at somepoint, I was a newbie.

Running, biking, swimming. have been seemingly ever present in my life.

Bike: My first bike was a Tri-cycle.

Running: Have I mentioned that I was a little brother. Running is my first instinct.

Swimming: My older sister tossed me off a boat after telling me I had better learn to swim . It worked. She was a certified life guard. I was able to swim from that point on.

I recently got even when I taught her daughter how to right a capsized sunfish several times. My sister was watching from the shore.

The point is, we are all newbys. We all had to learn to walk at some point.

My introduction to triathlon was a result of using the 3 disciplines of triathlon to build fitness for the marathon. I remember Jen encouraging me to give it a tri. My first race was the NCB Cleveland Triathlon in '98. The worlds best still raced Cleveland in those Days.

I had no clue what I was doing. Jen guided me along and coached me.

I learned mostly through experience, Jen and Sean Patton. I was a Newbie.

I once again find myself to be a Newbie as I approach my first dance with Ironman.

I have seen the race on TV and in person. I have covered more than half the distance. I study the sport like any other obsessed triathlete. I train, I train, I train.

But I am new to Ironman. I have never stepped over the timing mat and entered the water for the mass swim of an Ironman. I am new once again.

When I saw the word newbie I thought of the greatest.

I remembered that greatness was once new. And that in every thing that is new there is the potential for greatness.

The word reminded me that life is new in every moment. It reminded me how important it is to be present in every moment. Being aware in each moment and being aware that every thing is as new as it is impermanent.

In every moment we are new. In every moment the past ceases to excist.

At this moment, I might be starting something great....I had better pay attention.

Peace....Respect Everything.