Greater Cleveland Triathlon Race Recap 2009

The week had been tough for me. Monday evening I took sick and was unable to train all week. My voice and ability to breath were in serious question with a nasty head cold. I tried to be optimistic and view it as a taper. The race plan was to go hard. The fear was to go hard and risk further sickness.

I packed up Saturday. I have found that ironman training and racing has taught me to minimize my belongings and weight, so I have refined both my race and gig kit to the point where it can be carried in one trip. I had dinner and coffee before sleeping. At a weeee bit past 5am Sunday, Bbop and Mel picked me up and we headed east through lightning storms towards mentor Headlands on the shore of Lake Erie.

As we arrived the skies began to clear, but the lake remained agitated and rough. The Coast Guard quickly canceled the swim. Bummer, but I get it, Lake Erie is unpredictable. Swims are never a sure thing on this body of water.

I set up my transition very quickly and just milled around. I left my guitar and cables in the car just in case the weather acted up. For the most part I was very relaxed.

We all gathered around the start to watch the oly race begin. GCT being the Cleveland Triathlon Clubs home event makes this race a great social event for us all. For CTC members, it does not matter your role in the event,you just want to be at GCT for the chance to visit with everyone.

30 minutes after the oly got going, we lined up and the race began. I took off in a group of other CTCers. With a 2 mile run, I ran as hard as I could with my head still stuffed up. I hit T1 in 17minutes. My transition was slow. I have not added yanks to my lacing system and continue to use road shoes on the bike. Once thru, I hit the bike and hammered all but two RR crossings that appears to be eating tires and delivering triathletes faces to the pavement. During the second crossing the gates closed while I was on the track. It was spooky for a moment, but we all kept riding as we heard the roar of the passing locomotive behind us. The last couple of miles up rt 44 gave me a good tailwind to ride. I hit T2 and joked around with volunteers a little to long before taking off on the final 2 run miles. My running was good and I felt fast. One section had a huge puddle with a single track pass. With oncoming runners on the dry section, I took the plunge through a 4 inch deep puddle before dashing to the finish. 1:18 .09

At the finish they took my chip and gave me a medal for my might accomplishment. I grabbed some water and headed straight to the car to get my guitar, mic and cables. I got set up quicker then either of my transitions during the race and began to play"Going down the road" by Woody Guthrie. I felt good singing and everyone seemed to enjoy my noise.

Following the race I helped clean up before Mel and I jumped in Lake Erie to bob in the waves. Bbop took off for a 2 hr run in the heat as he is prepping for IMKY.
As everyone was thru at the park, we all headed to Pickle Bills for and Great Lakes brew.
Twas a fine Day. GCT and Mickey Ryzmic put on a great event. I love the tradition we have developed with me playing in the finish area.

******

This is my last post to this blog. I am moving on to the next stage in my life where I will be applying all I have learned while training and racing ironman triathlons. My ability to accomplish what I have car free and plant based has taught me that I can do what ever I dream of doing the way I want to do it. The world I want to live in exists if I make it so. My only limitations are in my lack of imagination. If I allow my self to dream, then "Anything is possible".

When I left music in 2004 as my primary motivation, I had become disheartened by the need for so many belongings to present folk music. My business had lost the magic that it began with. The idea of a guitar and a singer going anywhere people were became so complicated and impersonal. My friendships were sometimes overly competitive in very unhealthy ways. The need to own and maintain a car was absolute. I rarely had time to sit with people and get to know them. I would drive 50 minutes, do the show, get paid and drive home. I dreamed of being more independent as a musician, but struggled to visualize a world that would allow me the freedom to do this.

Having spent the past few years learning to minimize my needs and belongings during a race as well as traveling to races through out the region and into the United Kingdom, I have found it very simple to become a regularly performing songwriter with out a car. My standard gig set up is lighter then my bike now. It includes a small PA, guitar mics, cable, stand, recordings and postcards. I am now able to be the performer I had dreamed of becoming. Self powered.

My next big project will be planning and executing a tour next summer using only bikes and bike trailers. A friend will also join me and film it as a documentary. I will be starting a new blog dedicated to this project, so please stay posted.

Thank You for being a part of this adventure. Let nothing stop you from living your life the way you truley want to live.

After mulling it over for a while now, I have decided to end this blog. My last post will appropriately be the race report for the coming Greater Cleveland Triathlon. I am registered to race the sprint distance and scheduled to perform during the post race festivities. As I am going through this current transition in focus, I feel as the metaphor of beginning the day as a triathlete and finishing as a musician serves as the perfect conclusion to this blog.

When I began writing this blog, I saw it as a means to journal my training. Over the past three years of writing I have found it to be a portal into a strong community of support and camaraderie while training for long course triathlon. I have gained a number of good friends as a result of writing and reading other blogs. I feel I have contributed to a greater knowledge base with race reports giving insights to the races I have done. In some cases information on these races was scarce. For many looking for Ironman UK info, my report became a resource that I did not have prior to my race. I am glad that this blog has been used for this. For the reason above all others, I will keep trifolk published. I will however not be adding any new posts beyond the GCT report.

I am grateful to everyone that has followed this blog over the past three years. The intense focus required to train for ironman has often found me very alone. The constant contact I have been able to maintain through these writings, along with your feed back has given all of my efforts greater meaning.

My triathlon and running plans will remain active, but not central. My music is where I am directing most of my energy now. I have set up my music site within blogger and will continue writing regularly on that page www.charliemosbrook.com . If you enjoy my writing, I promise to post regularly. In addition my music site serves as a portal to my web presence from twitter, facebook, and myspace to itunes and other music sources. Feel free to friend me on facebook. I am obnoxiously active on that site and talk about endurance sports often. Ultimately once my music career is where I can rely primarily on it for income, I will have more time to devote to a hobby. When I arrive at this point I may try Ironman again.

As for now my rededication to music has manifested immediate results. A lot of very cool things are happening for me as a musician right now and I am enjoying an excitement about music that has been missing for a few years. Please feel free to take a moment or become a follower of the charliemosbrook.com site. I will continue to follow the blogs I have been reading as many of you have become friends and I want to know how it's going.

Anyhow, to steal a line from Spokane Al,
Thank you for reading,
Charlie

Mondays mean Open Mi

Mondays mean Open Mic at the Coventry Phoenix. I like Monday

Lake Metroparks Pirate triathlon at Fairport Harbor

The Pirate Triathlon is the old Fairport Harbor sprint with a new spin on promotion. I have done this race a 1/2 dozen times in it's original form and always felt that it was one of the best races around. The new pirate theme gave it a little more flair. The swim course is within the break wall on lake Erie, the bike rolls mostly flat along the lake and the run is flat and largely unshaded. The distance is a sprint 500m/20k/5k.

After returning from my vacation I got a hold of Tracy to confirm my ride. Around 6pm I knew the race was on. I had some veggie sushi, converted the bike from road to areo, packed my gear, and chilled.
At 5:30 I woke up and ate a small bowl of cereal and had a 1/4 cantaloupe. Tracy arrived 10 seconds early as I was crossing the street to meet her. We attached the bike to the car, I jumped in and away we drove for Fairport Harbor.
We got to the race just in time for registration($25 w/late fee). Set up transition, and got ready to race. Everything went very smooth pre race. I chose to wear a wet suit.
My wave started at 8:10. A horn sounded and we were off. I felt strong right off the bat. My mind was clear and really felt like I was just focused on the task at hand. The wave was a large group of men 35 and up. The swim was frantic and aggressive. Contact was constant. I remained steadfast and unapologetic throughout my swim. I am not sure of my time, but I stayed with the main group and swam straight. In general I believe it was a very good swim for me.
As I came out of the water I began stripping my wetsuit and jogged into T1. The only problem of the day occurred at this point as I really struggled to get my wet suit from my ankles. My guess is that I lost 3-4 minutes to the suit.
Once on the bike I hammered out the next 12 miles. Going out we had a great tailwind. I was doing an average 24mph and passing a lot of riders. On the return it dropped to 19mph as the winds were now at our face. I used my areo helmet cause I never get to. I think it benefited me on this course. Geek maybe, but it was the right choice.
T2 was quick and easy. I haven't switched out my laces this year, so I had to tie em. Not a big deal.
The run starts with a steep hill and soon turns flat. I went easy up and hit my stride after the climb. The Run went well. My old hamstring issue was apparent but not an issue. My run went well and I finished in 1:20.04(not confirmed yet).
It was fun to get out and run this race. The prep was light, I felt good the whole time and feel as though I put out a solid effort. My interest in time was obvious as I didn't look at my watch after I started it. I just went out and raced. Just had fun doing a tri and pushing my self a little harder then normal.
The race was very low tech but run well. Te new theme was fun, the food offerings were top notch. The cost and venue were as good as can be expected. I honestly believe this race is one of the best bargains in triathlon.
We had a good group of CTC members on hand and everyone seemed to have fun.
My race experience was A1.

Toning it down and tuning it up

I have unsettled business. It is my music. This is what I set out to do years ago. I need to focus on that first and for most. This is what has always driven me, and I am ready to give myself back to it.

A few years ago I hit a wall. I came out of an engagement that I had wanted for most of my adult life. The woman was the one that always left me wondering, "what if?". The long and short of it is that I found out "what if", and it sucked. It left me confused and without direction. In an attempt to regain some direction and focus I turned toward the discipline of triathlon. I developed a multi year plan aimed at completing an Ironman.

The goals I set were accomplished methodically. I finished 2 ironman distance races, 7 70.3 distance races, and 5 stand alone marathons. I relied on the consistency of my training and was always willing to make sacrifices to achieve my goals.

I need to apply the same energy toward my music. I still hope to run a 50k this fall, but I can not see my self commiting to a 50 mile race and being able to give music the attention I need to. I need to be in a place where I can feel ok with missing or skipping a workout or two. Music is my greatest passion . I need to set my musical goals higher then those in sport right now.

The personal healing I looked for has occured and I want to be able to go deeper on an emotional level. I wasn't willing to do that before and my music suffered for it. I am ready now.

A Most excellent Race 10k-Race report

I woke this morning at my normal 6:30. I had everything ready to go so I was able relax as I got going. I had a banana and a glass of H2o. Checked the latest MJ news, climbed aboard my bike and headed to the other corner of Cleveland Heights.

I arrived at Beaumont school with lots of time to register and stretch out before the race. I mostly sat by myself pre race before one of my customers and Dane's old boss, Brad came by. It was his first race. We chatted a bit before the kids of Camp Cheerful headed down the track. Every one clapped as the kids made their way to the finish line. This is one of the best pre race traditions in the Cleveland area.
I headed to the start in an easy jog and lined up. The weather was great. The heat had backed off this morning and the sky was overcast. I watched the herons and hawks overhead and relaxed. Just before the horn sounded and old prof named Scott lined up with me. He loves folk music, triathlon and running, so we always have lots to talk about. The gun sounded and we made our way across the line slowly. Still chatting for a good two minutes, I remembered what I was doing today. I wished Scott well and got going.

My hope was to hang at 8:00 miles. My legs have been heavy since the marathons and I turned my ankle this past week on a trail run, so I had lite expectations. I figured 50 minutes would be a success, but I was ready to except slower.

As the race turns west on Fairmount you have a slight downhill for about 1 1/2miles. I was moving at about 7:45 very comfortably. No ankle pain and my stride was smooth. At Coventry we turn right right for a block before heading east on Northpark. The return is uphill slightly before becoming steep after Lee road. I know this area as well as any. so I was able to anticipate every thing perfectly. The second loop came and my legs were beginning to feel it. Other runners began to pass. My pace was consistent so I wasn't worried.
As I approached the Coventry turn I got caught behind a group of walkers. I was a little discouraged, but I just took the extra moment to run around them. Half the group was in wheel chairs. So it was no big deal. The day was for these kids. Not me.
As I headed backup NorthPark I began to fade a little. I was heating up and my insides were churning. I focused on my breath, footing and a runner I had been just behind for 3 miles. At mile 6, Brian (another customer) was calling out times. He yelled "Come on Charlie, run harder". I tried to laugh or smile, as I did appreciate the sentiment, but I am sure it didn't show much. The last .2 miles are uphill. I dug in and pushed through to finish at 50:57 for an average pace of 8:10.

I headed straight to the loo and then for water and fruit. Everyone was gathering on the soccer field. I noticed fellow Aquarius triblogger ironG and went over to introduce myself. I have known her for about 2 years now online, but this was the first time we had actually met. We talked for a bit and hung for the awards. She had a great 5k finishing 2nd overall.
As G took her award it began to pour. She darted for her car and I put on a jacket and my helmet. The rain slowed and I rode home.

Overall I feel the race was successful. I was able to meet my speed goals. The lack of speed and sluggishness I have felt for the past month seems to be behind me. My ankle is a little soar. I iced all day.

Home course advantage

Last week I ran for 6 days straight for the first time in years. This week I will continue that trend. The off day is Thursday. Friday I will run four miles, Saturday two, and Sunday I will run a 10k around the Shaker lakes area. My goals for the race will be to see where my fitness is at two weeks into structured training.
"A Most Excellent Race" is a local 10k that was started by my current boss Brendon Walton. It is a fund raiser for Camp Cheerful, a residential camp for children with disabilities. Just before the race start, kids from the camp participate in a fun run as all of the racers cheer. I have shed a tear twice for this event. When I ran this race in 1998 I was talking to Jen just after the race. I asked "How did ya do?".
She said, "I won."
The following year I had one of my personal best races. I don't recall the time, I do remember out racing some fast runners.
The race course has changed since then, but it still remains in the area that I have run regularly for 18 years. I went to elementary school two blocks away. I will spend a few miles on it today. This is my home course. I have good memories going back to '93 for this race. Should be fun.

new habits

While training for Ironman, my run mileage usually remained between 20-30 miles per week. My long run was the important run and topped out at 2.5 hrs. Brick runs were also mandatory. Most of my other runs would be 30-45 minutes. My pattern was 3days on, one day off. Biking dominated my training for the Ironman. If the choice was bike or run, I had to bike.

I am now in the process of changing that pattern to better adapt my legs to longer runs. I am reducing off days to 6 on, 1 off. Most runs are 45-60 minutes. Long runs are much longer. I am refocusing all of my training with the goal of a 50mile trail race. As long runs grow longer, I will add days off. This will be most true when I attempt back to back long days. I doubt I will do a 5 and 4 hr weekend, but a pair of 3hr runs may be the planning.

Right now I am getting my general fitness up to speed. I also still have some pounds to loose. 188 is a lot of extra weight to carry, I could save a lot of energy by loosing10 or 15 . I think the 175 range is perfect for me and attainable in a healthy way.

I have been running sans mp3 player now for a few weeks. On trails this seems like a good idea. My local trails are in urban parks. It is good to be alert. I have seen coyote and been chased by wild dogs. I really want no surprises. I also find it is one less thing to worry about.

Another new discipline has been the use of hand held water bottles for every run. I picked up a nice one made by Nathan that has a pocket and handle. It is much simpler and more comfortable then the fuel belt I have been using. I am looking into a racing vest with a bladder. That costs a bit more and is not important yet, so I will wait.

Changing all of my habits and relearning everything I know about going long is fun. I am really enjoying this new focus and I am very excited about a new goal.

That said, a new iron distance triathlon has been scheduled for next September at Cedar Point....about an hour away.......Hmmmm.

Where was I?

Quick update:
I haven't written much this week. The dominant issue has been a personal relationship. I leave that stuff off the net.

My recovery has been slow. I was able to get running quickly, but running was not quick. I added regular bike commuting and never exceeded an hour of running. Last week I took two days in a row off. I may have been ill. So I just laid around. Since then I have had a lot more energy.

I have officially kicked off my training for a fall of trail running. I am still tinkering with what the experts say works and what I think I can do while staying healthy enough to run 50 miles. I am giving more focus to post run strength training.

I am going to run in "A Most Excellent race" on the 28th of this month. This was always one of my favorite 10ks. It is run on my home turf through the Shaker Lakes area.

That is about all I have for now.

Looking Forward.........

July I will start base building for a fall season of trail runs. My family will be spending a week atop Eagles mere Mountain. I have used this vacation to train before with bike climbs up the Mountain. The confidence it built for the old GCT 1/2 and the IMUK course was huge. This year I will be running up and down the mountain along the switchbacks. My "A" race will be near Hagerstown MD. After Brierman(Also in Hagerstown) last fall, I can not take climbing lightly. The area around the Appellation trail is rough.
I will also do a sprint tri in Fairport Harbor. It is one of my favorite little races.

August My only planned race is the GCT in mentor. My main duty will be as a musician. I will be racing the sprint.
I have made a commitment to pace a runner for the Burning River100. I also will volunteer at an aid station.
On August 30th, I will be taking in IMKY as a spectator. The Cleveland Tri Club has a lot of folks racing this year.

Sept. I plan to return to Michigan for a 50k on the same course as the Trail Marathon. The race festival is called RunWoodstock. The theme for all of the races that weekend will be "hippy" I will be camping. My approach to hills will be very different this time....Walking.
I have made a promise to take part in this years "Ride for Miles". Last year I was drafted to the stage to play a few tunes following the ride. This year I know to expect it. I am excited to have more of an opportunity to combine sport and music this year.

Oct. The Towpath Marathon will be returning to my schedule this fall. It has been 4 years since I last did this race. With my "A" race covering 1/2 of it's mileage on a similar towpath in Maryland, it makes sense to me to use this as a training run.

Nov JFK50 mile run. That's all I am gonna say about that.

winning and loosing

I set off on my run this evening to meditate on winning and loosing. The Cavs are 1 game away from being eliminated from the NBA play offs following a season of dominating the league. The season we in Cleveland have followed has been the most promising of any of our pro sports teams in my lifetime. With Lebron James leading his best team, we have had confidence that we would finally experience what every other major city in America has witnessed. A championship.

Winning is a foreign subject to me personally. The last time I was part of a winning team was my Little league team (Tris Speaker youth baseball) My team went 14-1-1. Our final game was a scrimmage against the 2nd best and only team to beat us. We won 19-3. We were the Giants. We were coached by some college players that were really good at teaching us the game. What I will always remember is how well we did the basic things. When ever we did something special on the field it counted and was magnified because all the basics were taken care of.

As an adult athlete I have two age group awards from 10 years ago. My approach to racing is much more in line with participating then it is competing. I look for a personal challenge or a fun event to see friends and run faster or further then I normally would. I race with personal goals, but I have no plans on returning home with anything other then a finishers medal.

As a fan, I love to watch the games. I love getting to know the players on the field. I love seeing the way a team meshes. I love seeing an underdog like the '97 Indians or the '05 Cavs exceed every ones expectations, and not being surprised. I know that I can look back on this past season and say that I have every reason to believe that LBJ and co. can and should win the next 3.

As a Clevelander I am haunted by a sense that I will never see it happen. An Injury or free agency will snatch hope away. The best opportunity to win will be thwarted by one moment that will be remembered vividly by all in our city.

A ball sailing inches from the outstretched glove of a favorite pitcher. A great RB being stripped before he crosses into the end zone. Moments that defined the careers of two of the greatest players ever. An interception that made the coldest of January's ever in our history that much colder.

2007.....I am so glad I had ironman during the never ending sports disappointments we went through 2 years ago. As a Cleveland sports fan, I am familiar with disappointment. The best we have had was a team that still had a chance in the last play of the last game. The big win never happens here. That's just the way it is.

My run took me through a warm rain, down the hill into University Circle. The turn around point is the lagoon in front of the art museum. as I pointed back eastward I noticed a rainbow leading into the area of the University Hospital. The Rainbow Babies and children hospital appeared to be the end point of the rainbow. Having been born in that hospital, I was reminded of my mom claiming she had my dad circle round Severance Hall home of the Cleveland Orchestra, to insure musicality. I remember going to her work at the institute of art when I was young and being influenced by so much music and art. I remembered listening to music at the Jazz and folk clubs and eventually performing at them. I thought of the Gardens and Museums. I thought of the city and the amazing park system. The way the people support the arts and work to preserve the culture. I remembered that the place I was born is very special. I am proud to claim Cleveland as my birthplace and home. I realized that the end of the rainbow is an amazing city. Win or loose, it is always home.

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Race recap

The weekend leading up to the race was very relaxed. Aside from a few hours at work, I mainly stayed off my feet. I had Pad Thai for dinner Friday and Veggie sushi Saturday night. I slept well both nights. So I felt rested and well fueled without feeling bloated. I hydrated well, and my pre-race meal consisted of two Lara bars and 12oz of Gatorade. AJ and I rolled down to the race at about 6am. I was able to clear my soul in the loo. I checked my stuff, turned on my garmin and lined up.
I was hoping to make one last stop in the confessional, but the lines were very long. The race attracted record numbers this year, so I decided to wait for the first good tree or statue of a for civic leader to loose excess water weight. The air was cold. I wore gloves for warmth. I settled into the crowd near the 4:45 pace group. Not that I was looking for a finish of that time, It was just as close as I could get. I checked my Garmin for the time only to discover that it was still looking for satellites. Apparently buildings cause problems. Since the course was measured, I didn't worry to much about it. I mostly wanted heart rate info. Pace is easy math.
The race started and 5 minutes later we were thru the starting line. My first few yards were with my neighbor and AJ's roomy Brendon. I spotted a place for privacy and pealed off. When I returned to the course, I jumped in and just hung with what was comfortable. My body was still a little tired following the trail marathon, so my strategy was easy going....
Thru the first mile the crowd was tight and slow. I started to hit my stride and moved up into a pack that matched my natural pace. 9;30 with walking at aid stations. I was a little to well hydrated, so I had a few additional stops along the way. At times I reminded my self of Zeus(my folks lab) with the incessant tree soaking.
The run was going smoothly thru 12. Some where on the main street bridge my knee did something that really freaked me out. I took immediate caution and pulled to the side of the road to massage it and do a quick self examination. I began running again, but with caution. If something seemed seriously wrong I could pull out at the half way point and head to the finish to cheer on friends. The pain continued but did not worsen. This was a marathon, so I excepted some pain and pushed on past the turn off.
Out along the marginal, I was manging my knee pain. 25 yards from the coming aid station I found a GU in my pack and walked into oasis looking for water. Matt Collister(CTC multi IM and now ultra runner) was working this water table. I leaned into him and said muttered, " Doing marathons so close together f**king hurts my knees".
He replied, "Keep moving forward".
So forward I moved.
Around this time I struck up a conversation with a runner attempting her first marathon. She was beginning to doubt her ability to finish. She was concerned about falling apart after 17 miles.
I shared some of the things I had learned over the years. I let her know that things turn good as quickly as they turn bad. The human spirit is an amazing thing. during the darkest parts of this race she would find inner strengths she never knew existed in her self. Marathons turn mental after 20 miles.
Around 21 miles, she was still with me. neither of us had wavered from our strategy. She walked at mile markers and I at aid stations. I kept assuring her that she was doing great. she told me that the things I had said were giving her strength.
At 55th and St Clair I saw Mary cheering. I was still using Matt's advice. The knee was stable. Every thing hurt. I was tight and unable to stretch the stride, but I was running. The 4:45 pace group caught me. I think they were ahead of pace. I stuck close with that group the rest of the way.
The final 5k was just an exercise in determination. I hurt all over. At lakeside with under 1/2 a mile to go I ran as hard as I could. This was not hard at all. I crossed the finish in 4:44. I finished with the group I started with. I waited for my new friend that traveled the tough miles with me. she was 2 minutes back. I congratulated her. She gave me a hug and thanked me for my words. I thanked her. Staying positive is so much easier when you can share with others.
Micky Ryzmick came over to me to congratulate me. I was wearing the same GCT hat he had on. I found Mary and we laid on the Mall C lawn for awhile before finding coffee and lunch....

Thoughts from the day. The weather was perfect. Aside from a little wind, this was as a good a weather day as can ever be hoped for. The new course was very scenic. I think the race directors found a course that celebrates the city. Detroit ave and St Claire suck, but there is really no other way to get in or out of downtown without facing the economic reality that exists between the downtown area and the burbs. I personally think it is a very important area to visit in the cities of America. The lake front, Rockefeller Park all of the downtown sites, Lakewood and the new finish at city hall made for a great course. The race course had many more people cheering on both sides of town. This race has made some great changes for the better. I once again recommend it after being down on it the past few years.

Alot of friends had great races. Most notably, when I looked at the results i noticed that AJ Baucco whom I drove to the race with took 5th in the half. In the women's race I noticed E-speeds name as the 2nd place finisher.....Amazing.

Congats all.

Goals for the Cleveland marathon

As I head into the coming weekend, I think it important that I take a moment to reflect on my coming task this Sunday. I am registered for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. This will be my second marathon start in 21 days. Unlike the Trail Marathon last month, this on is flat and run on roads. I have no real expectations. I am realistic in knowing that I have never gone this distance with so little time between starts. I think I was able to bounce back following the race in Ann Arbor in good shape. My legs still have very little pep, but I have not really pushed to hard. I have followed my standard tapper. So who knows. I think my biggest goal is to go out and enjoy the biggest fitness party in town. I hope to stay positive and run a marathon around my city.

Also, I have moved my music( http://www.charliemosbrook.com ) site onto blogger and have done a lot of changes to it. Please check it out.

Runners Envy

Today was a rest day. I have been training consistently. My body is in need of the kind of schedule that marathon tapering brings. Quick short jogs and an extra day off. My mileage will be cut drastically in the coming week. My body could use the rest . I am well aware of the benefits of tapering. The JT line"My body is aching and my time is at hand and I won't make it any other way" rings true a week before a marathon. My body and mind know this to be true, but my spirit and soul want to run.

As I walked to the bust stop following work I noticed runners everywhere. As the bus rolled up the hill to Cleveland Heights, I watched runners climbing and descending Mayfield. I wanted to press my nose to the window to see them all run. I twisted in my seat to get a glimpse of all the runners heading into the cemetery. As I walked from my stop , it seemed that everyone on Coventry was headed out for a run. I noticed nothing else. My heart was stiring inside. I wanted to go out and run too.

But for me this evening there is only this runners envy. Like a dog in a car at the dog park, I can only look forward to my run tomorrow. I will be rested.

We are stardust

A few years back as I began the early stages of my training for Ironman UK, I joined a CTC run one Wednesday night. There were just 3 of us that night. One runners name I have lost in the past few years. I have either not seen him since or I saw under a different light. The other runner was E-speed. I think it was our first formal meeting. I knew who she was, as she had spent the whole day at GCT rooting us all on. Her enthusiasm certainly fueled a few miles for me that day. I had also read her JFK50 mile race report here in blogland. So many folks in these sports seem to inspire others just by doing what they do. Sometimes inspiration takes a long delay before it hits.
As we ran along, E shared her experience from the JFK50 mile. The race seemed unimaginable. I was focused on Ironman, so entertaining any idea of running a 50 mile race had no space in my mind. I also remember her reflecting on the questions of "What's Next?" and "Whats the point of all this?".
These questions have dogged me over the past year since finishing my first Ironman. I imagine this is common for long distance athletes.
Looking for a point may always remain a mystery. I am not sure I have ever heard of anyone clearly defining a point to pushing beyond the limits of human endurance. When it comes to staying in shape, these Ultra and iron distance races are overkill. Trying to find an easy sound bite to explain our drive is silly. When it comes right down to it, I think if you are searching for a point, you have missed the point. The only clear point is a finish line. Once we cross over that line it ceases to have any relevance in our present.

At a races end, it is easy and common to become lost as our sense of purpose has come to a conclusion. What is gained from many of my races is gained during the months of training that precedes the actual race. A big smile and a finishers medal account for a very small part of the reward. Sometimes the greatest struggle comes after the finish. Haunted by the emptiness of living with out goals makes life after the race more difficult then the race it self. We have had so much time to ready our selves for the trials that we would have to overcome on race day. We spend almost no time preparing for the transition after our goals have been met. Just as I believe death is a transition, I believe that a finish line would be better defined as a transition line. Crossing that line can bring a world of confusion if your biggest goal has been achieved.

Following my IMUK finish I was able soak up the joy for a while. Within a month, I had committed to another year of ironman training. I took some downtime and got back to work.

As I began the training for IM Louisville, I found my self confronted by the same questions I had listened to E-speed ask a year earlier. I had no answers to these questions and often found my training uninspired, flat, and boring. I wondered what the point was often and more then once considered dropping out. One thing I repeatedly promised myself after IMKY was to spend more time just running. I looked forward to a season of more focused marathon training.

Early on Nichole and I had planned for the Big Sur. Having new goals waiting beyond an Ironman finish propelled me to the finish/transition line at 4th street live. I learned alot about myself last year. Most importantly I learned that I have no quit in me.

My training for big Sur began well. Driven and focused on a new goal, the joy of training had returned. When it became clear that Nichole was dealing with injuries that would force her to drop out of the Big Sur plan, along with economic fears looming, I adjusted my plans as I once had to do for ironman and picked the Trail Marathon. My training moved along without distraction. I went into my race feeling I was ready......I was not......The trail kicked my ass. I was down, but there was no quit in me. Like the little scrapper that I was as a kid, I would drag my bloodied body from the trail and jump right back into the fight. I refused to end a season of marathon training with a race like that. I decided to run the marathon in Cleveland 2 weeks from now and maintain my training. I am completely focused.

I have also decided to maintain my focus on running. Sept 19th I plan to go 50k for the first time on the same course that beat me last week. The race is called the freak50k. It is a part of a weekend called Runwoodstock. The big race is the Hallucination100 Mile. I will follow that up with the Towpath Marathon and then a week before Thanksgiving I will end my season with The JFK50 mile.
I gotta be honest, the distance still seems unimaginable to me. I think back to last Sunday and remember how relieved I was to see the finish/transition line. I wonder,"how can I go any further?". The truth is, I don't think I have ever seen a finish line that I was not relieved to see. Most races leave me feeling destroyed for at least a short moment.

So I now have season race goals that will give me focus. 50miles is huge in my mind. I have a lot of miles ahead. I have no idea what comes after JFK. But I know unlike the 60's, Woodstock comes first.

I came upon a child of god
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, where are you going
And this he told me
Im going on down to yasgurs farm
Im going to join in a rock n roll band
Im going to camp out on the land
Im going to try an get my soul free
We are stardust
We are golden
And weve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
-Joni Mitchell

What other point do you need?

Photo's from the Trail marathon

Race report: the trail marathon

The day began in a fog. We had oatmeal at the Bigboy near the hotel and headed north to Silver lake in the Pinkney State recreation area Northwest of Ann Arbor Mi.

My first thought when we arrived was,"this would be a great place for a triathlon". We sauntered about. I took care of the morning personal mission to encourage intestinal comfort. I readied my race belt and cloths. packaged up the ipod Nike+. No headphones, just to record data. I was ready. As a triathlete, I was itching to adjust any piece of gear I could. But this set up was a simple one. With a chip on each shoe Mary wished me well and I headed to the starting line.

The marathon was a small field of maybe 250. The 1/2 drew a much bigger group of runners that left an hour after us. Everyone just sort of calmly waited for the start. An old hippie climbed up on a stump and made some announcements, and started the race. I hit the face of my Timex and the center button of the ipod and began running.

The first loop went smoothly. I ran without issue and felt strong. The fog was lifting, but the air was still heavy. The rising temperatures were also awakening zillions and zillions of little bugs. Many of them wanted me not to be a vegetarian as they flew into my mouth. Aside from bugs and humidity, the first 13 just consisted of me following a runner up and down hills along a single track path through the woods. the group slowly spread out, but we all remained within site of other runners.

At the half hay point we passed the start/finish and the only spectators along the course. This was welcome. I searched for Mary and announced to her and the crowd that I was no longer a veg as I had swallowed many an insect. I grabbed some food, talked for a moment with an aid worker about The Cleveland marathon. Mary walked with me as I gobbled down some food, and I ran off and onto the second loop.

Everything was going well and runners ahead of me were beginning to fall back. I began targeting folks and making my move. I had just over taken one runner and was cresting a hill ready to shoot down the other side when my right foot failed to clear a small obstacle. I tried to stabilize for one moment before preparing for an emergency landing. I got my arms in, tucked my chin, and rotated to my side. I landed evenly with light impact to my shoulder and a little scrape of the knee. The fall was a thing of beauty. The many years I have spent falling down paid off. I was a little dirty and scraped, but I was more then fine. I climbed to my feet, assured the runner who was now retaking his position that I was in good shape. and continued on with the race. At the next aid station I cleaned my wounds.
One volunteer asked, "Are you having fun?".
I told him, " I was doing somersault out there".
He assured me I was looking better then a lot of others.

Within a mile and a half, the wheels started to come loose. My stomach was not behaving and the heat was taking it's toll. I was not at all prepared for 85 degrees. Most of the rest of the run was spent walking the climbs, descending with care, and jogging the flats. At one point around 23 I paused to regroup when my heart rate seemed a bit to high.

I maintained a rhythm and finally crossed the finish line at 5:58.14. I had beaten 6hrs. I felt this was something to celebrate.
I don't recall my IMKY run time, but I think this was a personal worst. This was a tough day. I sat down and began my recovery. I looked over at a guy holding a hand full of finisher medals and asked. "Do I get one of those?"
He said, "Yep."
I crashed on the ground for a bit and took a cold shower of sorts before Mary and I headed into Ann Arbor to Watch the Cavs play. We missed the first half as the the locals were more interested int the Bulls/Boston game and the Tigers.

Final thoughts:
This race kicked my ass.
I have absolutely no complaints about the race itself. I will likely return.
I plan to run Cleveland now. My training went well and I think I can run better then I did.
I have a new respect for ultra racing. This was a tough race. I can not fathom 50k, 50, or 100 miles. This still boggles my mind. This usually means I can't shake the idea of trying.

So, I have a marathon Sunday.

I am excited right now for this race. More so then I was for IMKY. I think the reason is that I have goals in running. In triathlon I don't really have any major goals left. Right now I see triathlon as something that I love to do. It is fun for me, but I don't have any major goals left. I think I have peaked with Ironman. I love the sport and will continue to race for the joy of racing, I will train as a triathlete, and I will identify my self as a triathlete. But right now, Iam distracted bytwo new attainable goals. Both are running goals.

The first and most remote goal is Boston. I would love to qualify and run Boston. My next age up brings the times to within a more attainable time. I think with focused dedicated run training I could meet the 3:30 time standard. It won't be easy, but it is possible. I have a few years before I move up.

My other goal is a 50 miler. This one is more realisticly achieved in the "near" future. I get the LOOOONG DAYYYYYYYY. I just need to adjust to the idea that this race is a pure running race that will last longer then the Ironman bike. This intimidates me. Intimidation motivates me.

So this race this weekend is the first major race since I re evaluated my training plans and goals. I am entering this race having spent all spring with a desire to train. I have not had that hunger since Ironman UK. Last year I was completely uninspired. I had moments. Steelhead was an amazing race for me and at Louisville, I met my Maker. I look back in a positive way. But for the most part, I was just not into it, thhis made it very difficult. Since I have started flirting with the long term running goals I have entered into my training with a new desire.

My goals this weekend are to stay within my self and explore the world of long distance trail running. I don't think a PR is in the works, but I do know my fitness is high. I am peaking perfectly. I have absolutely no doubt in my training. My health has been good. Not one cold or flu all spring. I tweeked my ankle on an early trail run, but nothing bad enough to slow me. I have benefited grately from the CSU rec center. I have no reason to expect a bad race. So a steady pace is my ultimate goal.

I will try to update the blog through out the weekend.

Back to the Woods

In two weeks I will set out to run a marathon. In two weeks I will set out to run a marathon for the tenth time in my life. In two weeks I will set out to run a marathon for the first time off road.

I began running with trips around the Shaker lakes. I always enjoyed the trail portions best. This was the section that would pull me into the immediate moment as I would have to focus on each and every step or risk tripping over a root or stone. Turned ankles are often the result of not paying attention to oncoming obstacles, so for my own health and well being I would have ignore the common state of distraction that I often live in. The softer surface is more agreeable to my heavier frame whilst the constant climbing and descending remain difficult due to the same issue. The major attraction to an off road marathon is my love for nature and the chance to commune with the world in it's natural state.

Most of my marathons have been both flat and on roads. I have run the Towpath twice, which is flat with a crushed lime stone surface. A portion of the IMUK course was both hilly and off road. So I have limited experiance with this distance and terrain in combination. I hope to try ultra marathons soon, so The Trail Marathon seems like a good step in that direction.

I am healthy and my fitness is at a good level. My main concerns are loosing focus and turning an ankle or flying face first to the ground.

All in all I just look forward to a new challenge.

Brrridges to Recovery 5k (Race report)

This was the first race of the year for me. The Bridges to Recovery is a small 5k set up as a fund-raiser for Covenant House in the Ohio City area of Cleveland. I have been training for speed, so I was curious to see what I had .
We arrived with 45 minutes to spare. I signed up, hit the loo, and did my warm up. It was obvious that the winds were bringin' a chill from the west and that the warmer stuff was being pushed out. I was wishing I had some gloves, but aside from that I was ready to run hard around the 5k course that takes you over the Cuyahoga, past the Hard Rock Cafe, the Q, back over the flats and around the west side market. I really love this course for it's scenery. The bridges are deceptive and provide long inclines. My concern was the wind on the bridges coming off of Lake Erie.

A little past 9am the starting bell rang and we were off. The crowd was small, so I was able to settle in quickly and just focus on a hard pace. After the first mile I felt my pace was solid at about 7:30. The lead pack wasn't pulling to far ahead, so my ego remained healthy. After the aid station, we headed over the Lorain Carnegie bridge. The struggle to hold pace began as we crested the bridge. After turning onto w.25th I remained stable within the pack, but could never find a higher gear. I hit the finish in 23:54 for a 7:41 pace.

I worked hard and am regaining any lost speed from pre ironman form. I was happy with the effort. Hermes ran a good race and the residents at Covenant House were great volunteers. I have a fondness for this race and hope to return. This was my second.

Four weeks remain before the Marathon. All seems well.
5k's go by quick.

Perseverance

Today I had finished my run and headed to the stretching mats. I ran into an old friend and who has an Ironman dream. She asked me what my best discipline in triathlon was.

This has always been an odd question for me to answer. I enjoy running the most. I am strongest on the bike, and my swim has been where I have improved the most. In addition, I tend to be ranked evenly in each sport. So it seemed silly for me to name one.

What I came up was perseverance. This is what I am best at. This is what really drives me.

Later on in the evening the President and a Biggest Looser ( as a fat kid that has to work his ass off to stay at a healthy weight, I get caught up in the show from time to time) contestant emphasized perseverances as a means of achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. I know this was the biggest factor in both of my Ironman finishes.

Perseverance can be an incredible force. I wish Mr Obama the best with his. May all of mine be available to his goals.

Steady on America.

What we do now

Last night I had a gig at the Old Stone Church on public square here in Cleveland. The show was a send off for the buses headed to DC for the 6^th anniversary of the Iraq war. Passions still remain high, but the anti war movement has lost a little steam with Obama's change in policy. There seems to be a lack of urgency as most folks feel the President is taking us in a new direction. The voices of peace however are no less important. The move away from No bid contracts, torture policy, and the Iraq focus were important policy decisions, because we made them important issues. If we as citizens become complacent with the belief that things are changing, we will get what we have been getting. So I will continue to contribute with my music. Hopefully some part of my music will help to strengthen the cause of peace in the marchers in DC.

After the show we headed to nearby John Q's and the Little Bar (old downtown bars) to watch the CSU Vikings play Cinderella in the NCAA tourny. CSU beat Wake Forest. I was impressed at how CSU never backed off. The remained focused for 40 minutes.

The rest of the weekend will be devoted to training. I am 90% sure I am doing the trail marathon in Michigan on April 26th. It looks like a fun race. My only reservation is that my run training is right on track. If I do a fast flat race, I think I can go 3:40. My speed and strength training has been consistent and I am now really recognizing my fitness level rising. I am injury free and the pounds continue to drop. It all adds up to a good opportunity at a fast marathon. However, I don't think this race will lend it self to that goal. Non the less, The work I am doing will help me in having a good trail marathon. It will also continue to build strength and speed for a faster marathon in the future.

All of this is a reminder to me to take care of the present moment. I know if I do that, the future will fall into place.

How long have I left to write?

My battery is at less then 50%. I will try to say what I must say. I am doing what I can to make every word count. I know that when I least expect it, my netbook will be on empty and my ability to write will cease.

I have been thinking about mortality lately. I know that eventually I will no longer breath. At least not as Charlie. I had a friend get hit the other day. He is OK, but you never know. You never know when a random act will find you. You never know when decease or some other bodily malfunction can suddenly end your perception and being here on earth. It will happen. It always has before and it will happen to me. As I age my life grows shorter. Death will happen I am sure.

I also know that with death, there is life. I watch the seasons come and go. Right now we are coming into spring. Life will erupt once more. Within days, barren limbs will be covered with buds and within weeks the buds will be leaves so thick that the sky will disappear over our heads. Life will be rich and we will celebrate it. We will move from our homes out into the open air to breath run, bike, sing, dance, and rejoice in life as we do every spring.

Death returns to life. Resurrection, reincarnation and the four seasons are strong held beliefs. I am not afraid of death, because I know that death can only exist with life. Knowing that I am not dead reminds me that I am alive. This makes me happy.

My battery is getting dangerously low now. So I must end this post.
Happy Spring! Enjoy Life!

I have no idea what my plan will be

My training is going so well. I have shed 15 pounds in 6 weeks. I haven't missed a work out. Everything I am doing is quality. No Junk miles. I am moving toward a much improved marathon.

Now that I have establish a solid training regimen, I have to choose a race. Big Sur is not gonna happen. Nichole has had back issues and has been limited in her training as a result. So we decided to stay close to home and see the Dead in Philly. The Flying Pig is the same weekend as the dead and it is a week after my planned marathon week. So now we consider other races.

The trail marathon in Michigan is all trail running. It sounds really nice, but I am training for a road race. They offer a whole and a half. The cost is $35. It is right outside of ann arbor. Lodging should be easy.

Nashville Marathon. I have never been to Nashville. This is the center of the Universe as songwriters go. Seems a good idea to make a pilgrimage to music mecca and run my 10 th marathon. Cost is over $100 and I have no simple lodging plan.

The Glass City Marathon in Toledo. Flat road race. Out and back . Low cost. Close to home.

I have to toss this around with Zac and Nichole. We have choices that will keep my target date intact. I just have to pick one now.

moving sideways

As I sat on the bus today I noticed that I was not moving forward. My body faced not the front of the bus, but the center of it. My view was not of the oncoming day. My view saw the city through the opposite window. My anticipation and remembrances lacked as all I could see was only what was passing by at that very moment. Moving forward or backwards was not an option to me. My seat was a bench that ran along the wall of the bus.

My sports and music are based on linear time. Songs and races have a start and a finish. Tempo is a common term within both worlds. When I get confused I can always return to the beat, to my breath, to the moment that I am in. I can focus directly on the note or footstep and let go of what I expect to happen next.The truth is that I never know what is going to happpen next. I can make assumptions based on experiance. Like a weather forcaster I can look at all of my data and try to predict what willl happen. But when a moment arrives it is unique and I have to adapt to it for what it is and not what I thought it would be. When my expectations are wrong I must adjust. This is where I have learned to move from side to side. I find other routes toward my goals by taking a very indirect path as if I were sailing into a wind. My tack is patient but determined. I can't alwaysfollow a path that may have worked for you. The only path that will work for me is the path that is available to me. Sometimes the best path available to me is in a direction I have never considered.

Often times forward is the obvious choice. Today as the brutal winds whipped across lake Erie and through the streets of Cleveland, backward worked well. As I rode my bus, I found that my path was sideways.

Without goals what do we have?

I have really enjoyed all the indoor training. Oddly I am finding benift rather then boredom on the tread mill. The belt keeps me on target when it is time to go fast. my mileage is starting to climb and I am remaining consistent with my strength training. The odd thing is that I really have no major goals this year.

Since I began writing this blog, I have always had a motivating race in the future. Ironman UK and Louisville were so big in my mind that I felt missing any training would jeopardies my chances of finishing those races.

During my training for UK I was always eager. I would stand at a bus stop in the worst weather with out any reservation to get my swim in. My training goals were always met and nothing was going to stop me.

For Louisville I trained with the knowledge of how hard Ironman can be. What I lacked in enthusiasm, I made up for in wisdom. I feared not being prepared.

This year I have vague race plans. Big Sur is a goal. However money has been tight of late, and it is not going to get better immediately. The uncertainty of the economy has me trying to play it safe. Nichole and I have talked about the flying pig as an alternative. I have not raced Cinci, so I look forward to either option. My triathlon plans are without any real structure. I know I would like to do two or three 70.3 distance races,. I need that shock to my system. The relaxed strength that long course builds is something I crave. I hope to do more short cousre racing this year, but ultimately I like to spend race day racing.

This year I have really embraced my training. I spend my days at work looking forward to getting to the gym. I feel so lucky to be able to start working out within 15 minutes if I hurry. Commuting seems to really zap my energy and passion. Since I began working out at CSU, My desire to train has been strong.

I have no idea what races I will race. What I do know is that I am enjoying every moment of my preparation for the coming season. What is motivating me is the joy of training. Each moment is special. With no end goal in sight, I am able to truly focus on the miracle. I am able to focus on the present and really embrace what life is.
Life is now.

Relaxed

I can now relax. I have had a long couple of days.
Sunday I was up at 6:30am for tri swimming. Following the swim workout I met up with Nichole for our first long run in our training plan. The air was warmer then it has been in a while, It made for a very pleasant run through the rocky river reservation. We really lucked out with the weather. 50 degrees. Hello February. January was so cold and snowy. The run went well.
BTW- I am moving most of the workout specific stuff to my training log in the side bar.
After the run I went to my folks place to watch football, eat and do battle with conflicting anti virus software in my dads PC....
Monday was a 4:30 am wake up, as I was subbing for Zac as the opener. After work I got some laundry done and packed up for open mic. as I threw my guitar on my shoulder the lights went down....."NO! I paid that bill!" I said before I noticed the silence. When I poked my head in the hallway I was reassured that it was a wide spread issue and had nothing to do with the fact that I can ignore first energy for a Looong time.
Any how, I headed up to the phoenix in the dark to figure out what we were going to do. Honestly I physically could have used the rest, but finances rule right now so I was relieved to see power return to the street. We had a good line up of musicians, but the crowd was slower then normal.
After the gig I retired quickly. I was in at 8 this morning, so I was better rested. After work I ran, lifted, and swam before coming home. About ten minutes ago I finished some promotions for my upcoming gig at AJ Roccos on Valentines day.
So now I sit, listen to some middle eastern music, and enter a little blog.
I am relaxing.

Less tri More Folk

I am looking for a new way to recharge the blog. So this is the first posting to be linked to my Facebook page. I know that I will reach many more readers on Facebook with a wider range of interests/disinterests. So I plan to write more about music and random life stories in an effort to balance the focus of this blog. I will still write about triathlon and endurance sports, but I hope to not bore my non running friends with countless exercise abbreviations without explaining myself. I have a handful of Facebook friends that I could've known from either triathlon/running or music. I have many old friends from my youth that have found me on FB that have taken a similar athletic path to mine, some hope to, and some just think the whole endurance sport world is nuts. A lot of my friends want to know what is going on with me musically and have little interest in my intestinal discomfort during a recent race. My point is that I have a much wider demographic that potentially may read this blog, so I aim to "spread the wealth" a bit more in regards to topic.

I am sure that many of you that have followed my blog think I wander off track often. It is true. Eight hours on a bike tends to make your mind wander. I am never shy about writing down my thoughts on anything that I feel passionate about other than personal relationships. My mind sometimes bounces all over the place. In a very random sort of way. I use song structure mostly to keep me from chasing notes as though they were butterflies. I race becouse a finishline gives me direction in my fitness.

So Trifolk is now dedicated to less tri and more folk...............Happy reading.

All charged up and ready to roll

I has been tough getting the blog rolling again.

Last weekend I was busy with OS installations and hardware upgrades to my laptop. The thing is roaring now. It actually seems stable in vista. In Ubuntu, it is running amazingly smooth and fast. The graphics are awesome, and all in all I have my laptop running the way I would like it to.

After the New Year I just started training and haven't wavered from my base work. The CSU rec membership has been key in this regard. I go straight to the gym/pool after work and get busy. With the cold we have been hosting, it would have been difficult to maintain the same consistency with my former arrangements. At CSU I can go at my convenience without any additional commute.

I have been lifting/stretching, treadmill and outdoor running, plus trainer workouts, and most importantly I have been swimming with greater frequency. I can feel myself getting fit again and I am always eager to work out.

This all tells me how important the downtime really was. I needed a serious break. I took it, and now I am feeling very ambitious about the training. It is time to feel this way. Big Sur training begins next Sunday. Nichole is excited. I am eager.....So come on and let the good times roll!

Adapting to the weather

Over the past few years I have had to take a bus to Notre Dame for 7:30pm lap swim. I always found it welcoming, but difficult to get to and from. On cold nights it really sucked walking from the pool 10 minutes to the bus stop on Cedar. Once at the stop, the wind would cut right through me as my skin was saturated from the swim. My choice not to do polar bear swims the last two years was based in large part on this issue. I leave myself open to illness with the pool commute. Why add to it?

Today I have changed this. I took on a community membership at Cleveland State University's fitness center. The pool is amazing and it is located along my bus line/Bike lanes. The buses come by every 7 minutes and the station is just outside the center. The rest of the center is brand new. My cost is very reasonable. This made to0 much sense. This new arrangement will make training much more accessible to me.

Just in the nick of time. The mercury is headed for 0 degrees this week.

Changing my status is easier than blogging

Well.......
I have been taking my recovery period. a blog break just sorta happened. Since many of you are also on Facebook, I have been able to maintain communication via one liners.

I am getting my running back with some consistency. I do a trainer workout twice a week, and I have been doing the winter tri swim group workouts at Oberlin. Those are a blast. I haven't been in the pool since before XMas. I am all right with that, but I will be back in this week.

Music has really been fun this winter. I have been doing a lot of song writing and my performances have been to the level I expect and enjoy. I recieved a standing ovation at one show last month. This is a rare event for me, so I was very flattered. It also told me that I may have done something right. My relationship with my instruments has become much more delicate and deliberate. Some times I think I know what I am doing.

My race plans right now include:
The Big Sur Marathon
Maybe Race for Recovery 70.3 in June.
Steelhead(Tho Bbop suggested a half near the IMKY course)
GCT Sprint Followed by some guitar playing at the finish line

I will most likely toss in a few more Oly and sprints. My big plan this year is to have fun.

Anyhow, Big Sur training starts in two weeks.

Be well and Happy New Year.
Thanks for reading.