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.

1000 miles 199 days hemp recovery

Today I logged my 1000th mile of training since Dec 1st. This has easily been my most productive off season ever.
The USAT Club challenge has been very motivational. The Triathlon national governing body pits local tri clubs from across the country in a virtual training competition. Every mile logged is added to your clubs total. Individual stats are kept as well. The CTC is holding tight to 6th place nationally. Our club has fewer members participating than most of the other clubs, so realistically we are really putting up big numbers in Cleveberg. My personal numbers have ranked up around 16th-30th place out of close to 800 total participants.
I am not fast, but I love to train. this is a competition I can be competitive within.
One Michigan athlete was named the top woman's 50-54 age group triathlete by Inside Triathlon. She is number 2 or 3 right now in the club challenge. It is amazing to see the amount of work the top amateurs put in.

A few of us CTC folks including bloggers Jodi and Jen are logging very similar miles, so it really is a fun way of seeing what your club mates are doing. For Mr. Solo, it gives me company while I spend so much time alone. The same is true of this blogging action. Thanks to all who read, comment and keep up your own blogs regularly. Vital training partners. Crazy world we live in. I like it!.
As my miles increase so does the wear and tear on my shoes and body. I have had pain in my upper right leg. One of the first things I do when I experience pain is to inspect my shoes.
Flat....My Airs are flat, the souls are worn. these shoes are not suitable for running any longer.
As soon as I get paid next week, it is off to Second Sole. East side store. Jeff knows what I need and finds the best deal for me. He knows that I prefer last years model and that I am a neutral runner. Both with foot strike and with make allegiances. I don't care for Brooks or Saucony. Aside from that I don't care who makes the shoe.
I know what I am looking for.
An issue with the heavy training and new diet has arisen. I feel I am not recovering as well as I could be. I get a lot of protein, however my needs are not getting met to aid recovery from workouts.
After a little research I have decided on hemp seed protein powder. All natural, soy, dairy, and wheat free, taste great in a smoothie. It is rich in Iron, EFA s, Omega 3s, protein. It is as well suited for humans as salmon is. Good stuff. Still vegan, and legal. Ironman Canada winner Jasper Blake uses it.
I figured, lets give it a try.
Still to early to know, but so far so good....

A co workers asked me today,"when is that England thing, Are you scared?"
That England thing is in 199 days. I am not scared, I believe in my training.
I am some what anxious to race. I am adding the chili bowl 5k to the old calendar.
Stay warm...Peace.

Go on at a steady pace

"I want to say to my sisters and my brothers

Keep the faith

When the storm flies and the wind blows

Go on at a steady pace" -Charles Johnson

The snow, it has finally arrived. January in Cleveland means cold air shooting down out of Canada. The warm water of Lake Erie following a very pleasant 1st month of winter means the lake effect conditions are perfect for a real pounding.
This life long Clevelander welcomes its arrival. The commute home from the pool sucked, but then I was leaving the YMCA at 9 yrs old and walking home with frozen hair that wreaked of Cl.
I had a humus bagel and a cup of Jo, checked the Cavs score. This team is so inconsistent, reminds me of the '06 tribe. So much promise. Pull the trigger Mr. Ferry. The trade I would go after is Gary Patten to teach Daniel Gibson the art of the point.Give them Sasha and E. Snow. I mean it, Get rid of Snow.
Really that was all just a cheap pun. Eric Snow is a local, he gives back, and seems like a real decent fella. I like him. But I would make the trade, cause Gibson is the future. You got prepare for what is ahead. So enough of this distraction and back to my Ironman training.
I can really procrastinate if I put my mind to it. My ability to manipulate myself is amazing. However, today the plan is a 1+ hr run. Nothing past 1:30. I am training for the Cleveland Marathon. I am only racing the 1/2. But I am training for the full. So until late February all long stuff is below 2:00 duration.
I have a pair of some old Nike Gortex snow running shoes. I rarely wear them. The weather has to downright suck. Today counted in the suck category. 2ply coolmax socks. running shorts, tights, wind pants. Up top I have a Patagonia base with zipper, a light fleece top, and a wind and rain jacket. Sunglasses with a light tint lens so I could keep my eyes wide open, a fleece hat, and 2 pairs of gloves. I put it all on and head down to the street, press play on my minidisc player, and begin to run. I am comfortable. I love the point in a work out when you decide that this is gonna work out.
I headed into Forest Hills Park.
Forest Hills was John D. Rockefeller's old haunt. The park is big, and stretches into two cities. I am able to spend a lot of time on trails and away from traffic. The downside to this park is the poverty that surrounds it. Really, poverty is always a downside. The contrasts to the enormous wealth that had been acquired by the man who had once called this land his home is disturbing to me.
The snow has left only faint silhouettes that surround me in black and white. The trail is covered with fresh fallen snow.
The only encounter with other people I had was at the top of the hill as a bunch were out sledding. JDR had his house at the hilltop. It burned down after he left for NY. I can't find the hint of a foundation. so it is hard to picture. Anyhow, the view is one of the best in Cleveland, and the run down the hill is fun. No sled for me, and I stayed on my feet.
I stayed out for 1:23 and ran 6.59 miles. Those were some tough miles.
Thai food for dinner.
1 hr on the bike. Family Guy is not my favorite show, However, Stewie dancing with Gene Kelly was great.
And that is Sunday in January in Cleveland Ohio. I did what I had planned.
"When the storm flies and the wind blows

Go on at a steady pace".

By the way, congrats to E-speed on the 50k PR. Unbelievable.

Bike upgrade!

My race bike is a 2001 Giant OCR 2. I bought it on July25th of 2001. I had the bike on layaway for 2 months before getting to take it home for a ride.
We rode our first race together on Aug. 29th at the Ashtabula Sprint Triathalon.(Not a mis spell, that is how the event spells our sports name)
I have done a fair share of races on this bike including two 1/2 Iron distances. The bike has been very reliable and held up its end of the deal.
Its frame is aluminum and very light. The components are cheap sora parts. The fork is chrome-ole. The bike was never a problem, but I always promised the full make over. I figured for Ironman it deserved better.

I began after the season ended by doing a section a month
Step 1 was the drive train. I went with 105 components. 53/39 and 25/12 rings. Solid, race worthy, and more in line with my budget.
Next came the wheels. Shimano R550s. 16/24 bladed spokes Got em on eBay from the Bike Authority. Another great deal.
My next move was the front end and brakes. The choice of bar and brake style was made after winning an auction on the specialized bullhorns bars and carbon tektro 5.0 brake levers.
The profile carbon strike aero bars and dura ace bar end shifters were end of season close out prices. The brakes were eBay again.
I chose a Thomson set back seat post and flipped it forward to a better aero position.
The fork is carbon fiber and feels about two pounds lighter than the old fork.
The saddle(San Marco trigel and peddles(Look Keo) had been picked up during the season.

The frame and headset are the only original parts.
Taking the time in building my bike back up has been a lot of fun. Every thing on the bike was chosen and installed by me. I know this bike inside and out.
It is not my first bike. It is not the best bike. It is not an expensive bike or the latest model.

My Little Giant is just my bike. Same frame, all new parts. Built with love, and built to last.

Come on and let the good times roll...

Come Together

Things are moving along fairly well right now.

My swimming is really improving. I have reached the 3500 yard mark. I had instruction from Steve. The stroke is still inconsistent and needs my full attention, but the stroke count is down. Endurance is not an issue any longer. I look forward to the pool workout as much as I look forward to running.

The bike is coming along. Last winter I could barely put together 1/2 an hr of trainer work without becoming bored. The workouts I did were infrequent. Rebuilding in spring was slow. This off season I have spent 800+ miles in my living room. I am renting Little Miss Sunshine next week. Lots of movies
The bike has officially been converted into the bike I hope to have for race day. I will post photos soon. I got the fork from Nashbar yesterday. I can't wait to get her out on the road. Only thing left is to keep building up the engine. That's me.

Running is fun! I took two days off in a row from my beloved run. Saturday I was a little stiff but fairly healthy. Today I went long.1:50 mixed surface running with 2/3rds being technical trail running. I ran in road shoes, so it was a bit slippery. Great work out. The snow was so pretty.

The diet is very right on for me. This is the easiest diet I have actively and mindfully maintained. The only craving I have is pizza. The other night at the CTC post holiday party. The Collisters ordered pizza. The aroma of the cheese reached out to me as if it were a cartoon....I resisted its beckoning.
I need to go to Dewey’s soon and get one of these cheese less pizzas. That will be a fun evening.
Whoever I go with will say, “what toppings do you like?"
I will respond, "Anything except meat and cheese is good with me".
They will say, "Ummm....how 'bout we get half with some freaking cheese you damn hippy?!"

I have a gig on February 9th. This will be my birthday gig. It's how I like to celebrate. With music.
The Lovett/Hiatt/Ely/Clarke show was great. The show was close to sold out. So many old friends from the folk music community were there. I got distracted while leaving and lost my group....whoops....John Hiatt is such a good songwriter.

Everything is coming together.

Ode to Joy

First off, I have been adding things to the side bar so I can share the boring details of my workouts. I don't get to detailed beyond distance, duration, and random thoughts.
I also found code for a countdown timer. It is set to IMUK.
Last but not least I have added a link to my music sight. Music is a central part of my life and I feel the need to remain connected to my music.
Ironman has my attention right now and I have no regrets about that. Music is playing 2nd fiddle right now and at times I do regret that.
Music has always been my driving force. I chose choir over swim team in high school. I have devoted 20 years to music. I remain first and foremost a musician.
Just like triathlon, every few years I need to step back from music. I don't stop playing, but I don't "PRACTICE". I don't gig often. And when I listen I don't listen like a recording engineer.
During these times I just try to enjoy music. It is very refreshing. When I come back to the professional music world my ears are fresh and excited. My goals become clear. I have fun again.
Last week music showed some blips on my radar:
1. I was offered a new mandolin that I have committed to buying.
2. I was asked to appear in some songwriter circles at local libraries. These are great gigs, they pay well. they happen during the day. I am one of 4 songwriters performing. It is an honor to be asked..and so on.

The job I am hoping for, running an inter-generational media center out of an East Cleveland Charter school is starting to come together...please keep the fingers crossed for me and this job...I get the feeling the position was created for me.

Rob Reddy and I went to the Barking spider to listen to some music on Sat. We plan to try to do this more often.

Two of my favorite songwriters, Lyle Lovette and John Hiatt along with 2 others are doing a songwriters circle at the state theatre next Sat. Tix are $10 bucks...I will not miss this. Still looking for folks to join me. It's gonna be good.

And finally, an anonymous CTC member offered a single ticket to the Cleveland Orchestra performing Beethoven's 9th Symphony. I took the offer, put on my fancy duds and walked down to severance this past Thursday to take in a celebration of the brotherhood of mankind.
The ninth is so powerful culminating into the well known Ode to Joy finale.
I was so excited for this concert and feel so lucky to have stumbled upon this ticket.
It was so nice to hear the orchestra, not as an audio student/intern, but as a music lover.
It was so nice to step away from work and training for an evening.
It was so nice to return to work and training.
I love music....Gotta go, this here mandolin needs playin',

Have you ever heard of Scuzzlebutt

I love southpark. It is so wrong. I almost feel guilty for laughing at this show. The writers push the humour as far as they can, and yet they keep producing the show. The fine line of acceptable humour becomes an enormous grey area.The show is very well thought out. Every joke has meaning in the context of the story.

I first watched southpark while training for my first marathon. My Marathon training sorta worked like southpark. I kind of think the marathon is wrong. I feel a certain guilt for wanting to run one. You always try to push your training as far as you can, while be able to continue training. The grey area between training and injury or heavy training and overtraining is extremely vague. Every work out is well thought out and has to have meaning in the context of the plan and goal race.

Last week on the tails of three hard weeks culminating into the ten day CTC VTC(Cleveland Tri Club virtual training camp). I felt like I had taken it to far. . That I might be facing the consequences of the heavy pace I was maintaining. I had a little chest cold, I was very tired, and I was having trouble sleeping.
Had I hit the dreaded overtraining point?.

Tuesday I took a day off. No training. Beginning Wednesday I began a build with light workouts.
The cold took a few days to shake. But I think I am OK.
I did a tough brick today and felt energized. I could feel the strength gain from the heavy weeks.
Some how, I survive to train another day. A little stronger and a little bit wiser.
The best part of southpark is how they always seem to learn something.

Hey, I learned something today.
Rest and recovery really are an important part of training.

Oh yeah, I also learned that Scuzzlebutt is real.

What are they thinking? I will never do that!

Every year a bunch of weirdo's usher in the new year by jumping into the lake on January 1st. I remember this ritual happening as long as I have been aware. It is useally the same common sense that makes people think that doing an Ironman is a good idea.

Today I joined the party and became one of those weirdo's. 12 hours into 2007, 40 plus members of CTC charged into Lake Erie and took the plunge.

We have had a warm winter and the water was in the mid 40's. Not really that cold. We didn't exactly have to break holes in the ice. However it was cold enough.

The photo above is borrowed/stolen from Jens blog . The photo is Allen, Jodi and I bundled up on the beach following the swim. Monica Robbins and a camera man from channel 3 covered it.

My overall thoughts on the Polar Bear swim: Like every thing in triathlon, jumping in was easier then the build up in my head, and the real pain and discomfort didn't set in until I was deeply entrenched.

Would I do it again? Yes.

The rest of the new year was great. I saw many friends today both at the beach and at Tim Smith's "Hair of the Dog" party. Both CTC and Cleveland Peace Action made the news.

Peace action was reading the names of the US soldiers killed in Iraq to mark the 3000th death. I pray that this is not a sign of things to come this year. Hopefully some positive progress evolves in the war. I don't know what the best direction for our nations involvement will be. I can only hope that our elections have put the right people in control of making the decisions that will both stabilize the region and allow our armed forces to come home safely.

Last night a few CTCers partied at Jodi's. It was a good time. It was defiantly the right place for me to be this year. Ushering in 2007(the year of my first attempt at Ironman) with fellow IM rookie Jodi, Allen who finished his first IM in Wisconsin this year, and Elizabeth the club ultra marathoner was really nice.

This morning while Jodi, Elizabeth, and I were jogging prior to the swim, Zac and Nichole came came by to witness our silly behavior at the beach.

I am so lucky to have the support and friendship of so many good people. My faith in people is strong once again.

I always learn so much about myself and the world around me during heavy training periods. I think this answers the question "Why am I doing this?".

Finishing a race is just the moment that we pause to reflect on every thing that we have gained through out our training. If it was about the medals that hang from my tool rack than I would never have gotton this far.

Thank you to all of my friends and family. Have a wonderful New Year.

May we all know Peace inside and out in every moment.

May all of our journeys bring the rewards that mine has already brought to me.

A couple of Joes

Joseph Sylvester Mosbrook was my fathers father. We called him Papa. He died when I was a teenager on Thanksgiving. I thought of him as a warm and happy spirit. He was a proud man and well respected. He was president of the Pinehurst Country Club and lived across the road from the 7th hole of Pinehurst #2, one of the best golf courses in the world.
Papa loved golf. He played late into his life. I am the only member of my family to not love the game.
I do respect golf and understand the passion my Dad, brother, uncles, Susie and Papa have for it. The game is a great challenge and you have to work hard at it to be good. The weather and course can have a strong effect on the game.
Golf is a sport that requires continual spending. From green fee's to lessons, to the never ending need for the next greatest piece of equipment that will make you drive further, putt better and shave one stroke from your score.
Golf is a lot like triathlon. Just slower. One day the Newspaper will have a section called Tri Monday.....

My Papa's middle name, Sylvester means happy New Year in German. He was born December 31, 1899 close to midnight. He was one of the last babies born in that century.

So what makes me think of my grandfather, Joe Mosbrook on his 107th birthday?
It is also the birthday of fellow IM candidate, CTC member, Heights resident, former Mad town resident, and blogger, Jodi.
Jodi is not 107 and is very much alive. Very much alive thanks to her bike helmet. She crashed recently and the helmet most likely saved her life. (WEAR YOUR HELMET!)
Capricorns are resilient and don't seem to let much slow them down. Papa was hit by lightning while golfing, and got right back on the course. Jodi has been piling on the bike mileage since her accident.
Anyhow, Happy Birthday Papa.
Happy Birthday Jodi.
Happy New Year Everyone.
IRONMAN 2007....Maybe I will take up golf next year.

Christmas Dreams of Zeus

Once known as the king of gods, Zeus is now regarded as mythology.

What would Zeus dream of on the night before Christmas? What would the supreme god look forward to on the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, the king of kings?
Zeus is not forgotten. We still hold the Olympic games. The games that were created in his honor. An event that brings the nations of the world together in peaceful competition.
Zeus's impact is still present in our modern world.

The Zeus I speak of this night before Christmas is a big black Labrador retriever. Zeus is ten now, but still a big puppy.

On Christmas morning Zeus gets to go for a run with his old running buddy. For Zeus there is nothing greater than that.

Every year I head over to my folks house before everyone else and take my old training partner out for a jog round Shaker lakes. He knows it's coming. He knows the sound of running cloths. He starts dancing about and making crazy wookie moans in anticipation. His big powerful tail starts churning like a machine. If you get in the way of Zeus's tail before a run, you will surely come away with a bruise. Zeus loves to run, and Christmas Morning he gets to run.

The first quarter mile he pulls in excitement. After that he settles into my pace and we just run with the occasional male dog pit stop.
Zeus and I would run together daily while I was in school. We trained for 3 marathons together. He later adapted to my little sister Susie's run style.

He doesn't have a running partner these day sans the occasional drop-in by Susie or I.
I know he misses it. He bellowed in anticipation this evening at dinner.

All Zeus wants this Christmas is to run.
Who could blame him?.
Hope you all have as Merry a Christmas as Zeus.

Days off are good.

After my long run last Sunday, I was feeling beat up. I was tired, and I had pain in my foot. I couldn't wait for Friday.

Friday is my day of rest. No training on Fridays. That is the rule.

Last night was our Xmas party at work. This usually means lots of drinking. A few pint of Guinness, some chocolate covered fruit, a shifter of Bushmills 16 year whisky, and an odd shot that Addie made up for the house. For the most part the party remained tame.

I saw my friend Sean Patton. Sean has done Kona at least 4 times, and won the Cleveland Triathlon a number of times. Sean was one of the reasons I paid attention to the sport, but he had started to focus on marathon the past few years. Last night he said he was coming back to multisport. Welcome back.

This morning I work up and rode my bike to the pool. 3000 yards. That is a long swim for me. It went well. I used Jens(Collister) advice and broke the swim down into smaller pieces. Very good advice, Thanks. I also ran into new pool friend and Sr. CTC member Steve Hamilton. Steve is in his seventies and been doing triathlon for 20 yrs. A week after Ironman UK, Steve will be Starting his first IM in Louisville KY. Amazing!

I rode home intending to switch bikes and spend the day on the roads. After fighting the wind I decided to Watch "What it Takes" again and sit on the trainer.

After the movie I went into T2 and headed for the cemetery to run a few miles of hills.

As I cruised up Hampshire to finish the run I felt light and fast. I wasn't really very tired. I felt good. The foot felt good. The rest did me good.

By the way....Beta Blogger is annoying....I lost a really good post on Wednesday.

History

My first race was from wall to wall in the Fairfax elementary school gym during the 2nd grade.
I won. I beat the whole class. I was always quick and elusive as a kid. I had a big brother so I really knew how to turn on the jets, change direction and sprint. Survival skills are taught by siblings with very direct methods.
My brother also led me to swim team at the Y, and the city pool. He had a Bill Rogers warm up and a Motobecane touring bike. by the mid eighties my Uncle Bob was running Boston and winning age group awards in this new 3sport race called "Triathlon".
I ran track in the 7th grade. After experiencing knee pain, I looked to the coach for advice. He said"If you can't take the heat than get out of the kitchen." Completely unsatisfied with his response, I got the hell out of the kitchen.
Swim team ended when the coach threatened to flunk me in earth science if I didn't choose swim team over choir. My defiance to this threat began a very bad high school career.
I made my own choices. A lot of bad choices. If I could do it again. I would change a lot of choices. However I will never regret walking away from these coaches.

I liked riding. My friend Hung and I used to ride out to the Chagrin river to fish. I could never keep a bike for very long. Eventually I lost interest.

I began smoking in high school.
The only sport I ever took part in was a silly game called hacky sack. the goal was to keep a round bean bag from hitting the ground without using your hands. I became very good at this. I would play for hours in very active games. I built a lot of strength in my legs.
By 23 I wanted to quit smoking and adopt a healthier life style. After having been attacked violently twice in 3 months I also decided I needed to exorcise.

My first run was at 11:30 PM a quarter mile to the playground and back. Halfway I laid on my back, heart pounding and lungs reaching for whatever oxygen they could get. I was 23 and I was very out of shape.
I went out and bought some Air Nike cross training shoes Like Bo Jackson would use. I told a friend, Bruce that I had started running. Bruce was one of the top area runners. He told me he would pay my entry in an upcoming 5k at John Carrol University.
That Saturday, I raced. In a pouring rain with only one rest stop. I finished a race of 3.1 miles in 39 minutes. I didn't win, but I beat the race walker in the final 50 meters. After the race, we all went inside and ate fruit, drank water and watched all my friends get trophies.
I received a nice shirt.

This was the beginning of my life as a "runner".
My 1st 10k was the Revco Marathon and 10k. I remember while we waited for the race to begin the marathoners lined up for the start. When the gun sounded and Dire Straights "Heavy Fuel" started playing I imagined this incredible journey that this smaller group of runners was to under take. I imagined myself beginning my marathon.
Over the next 4 years I wandered a crooked path. At times I was so far from my 26.2 mile dream that I had nearly forgotten it.
Injuries and the constant lure of nicotine would keep me unfocused. I eventually came to a point in my life where I needed to regain my self.
In the fall of '97 I started training. As I began to build my base I suffered a very bad ankle sprain. I remember immediately wondering what would happen to my training. I was scared that I would revert to my bad habits.
Funny thing happened the night before. Sandy Alomar Jr hits a HR to send the Tribe to game 5 with the Yankees. Later that night, we win the series and go on to within 2 outs of winning the World Series.
Alomar had a season of dreams that year. He had suffered in his career from injury. Finally he was the hero we all wanted him to be. So many had given up on this injury riddled catcher. but he never stopped working for his dreams.
If I needed a sign, this was it.
I ran the turkey trot a month later. Got a marathon training book("Marathon Training" Joe Henderson) and started training with focus.
I joined the local Y for cross training. Stuck to the plan, and on May 3rd 1998 I completed the CVS Marathon. I cried at the finish line. It had been a long journey and was the first time that had felt I had finished what I started.
While training I had inadvertently trained for triathlon. The program director noticed this and encouraged me to try a tri.
Long story short, I fell in love with triathlon and the program director(Jen). We raced and trained often. She had an Ironman dream and I was with her through it all. We were engaged in Klagenfurt Austria two days before her first of two IM finishes.
After some time our relationship began to collapse. We both started to alienate the other and and soon the wedding was off.
The breakup along with my longtime Job as entertainment coordinator at Arabica ending left me spinning. I returned to school for Audio engineering and sporadically raced and trained.
After school, I became engaged once again to a women named Kim. Kim had been my first real love when we were young. Fairy tale-nightmare-parable.
This ended very badly. I was hurt and a mess. After 6 months of sitting in my sh*t I decided to move forward once again. on Thanksgiving of 2003 I began training for the Greater Cleveland Triathlon. A half IM distance race.
As I crossed the finish line I thought, " I have more". This begins my IM dream.

Why am I doing this?

I am feeling really motivated right now. My training is as I want it to be. My diet is going well and I enjoy it. My running may be at it's best place ever. I am progressing with my swimming. My bike and I have become cuddle buddies here in the apt. I have been riding to the pool and plan a long ride Saturday. The weather has been perfect(for December in Cleveland). I can see my Ironman goal. I have no questions about what I am doing. I am distracted by nothing.

This would be a good time for me to ask myself why. Why Ironman? Why Triathlon. Why have I become so obsessed with this dream? How will this change my life? What if I fail? How will I face injuries? At what cost is this dream worth? and many more questions. I plan to use a few posts to answer these questions. Some answers may surprise you some may surprise me.

However I answer, now would be the time. Once the training gets tough I may need to reflect on these answers. I don't want to question my goals during the tough training times.

Stay tuned....Next post...My history in multisport.(where have I come from)

The Simple Life

I have always longed for simplicity. I have spent my life with a sincere desire to let go of needless things. I have always wanted to free myself of the dependence on things that cause harm to the universe around us. I want the vibrations of my soul to be a peaceful ripple throughout it's cause and effect existence.

I am a human, I am a boy, I am an Aquarius, I am a musician, a protester, an athlete. I love center stage. I have an enormous ego. I am a cookie monster. I am a cluts. I am a bully. I enjoy intoxication.

I am living a car free, vegan life right now. I am working to become the person that I see my self to be. I am doing all that I know to live a life that is righteous.

I often fail. I am often distracted by pleasures and conveniences that I hopefully regret and recognize as a limit to my becoming the ideal Charlie.

I don't mean regret in an ungrateful way....I just mean I hope I have learned something from that action. Sort of like playing hacky sack or chess.

My mother told me she just wanted for me to be happy.
On music the late new age guitar master Michael Hedges told me to simply live it.
On sport the philosophy of Dr George Sheehan taught me that when I run I should be playing.

Our culture seems to stray day by day further and further from a world of simplicity. Finding urban food sources that sell foods with simple ingredients is not very easy. Renewable energy sources seem to be almost non existent.

Like the delicate overtones that develop the tone of an instrument. Like the effortless calm of my bike on a perfect Sunday in December. I want to be in pure harmony with everything. This is when I am most natural. This is when life is beautiful.
No expectations and no imposing of my will and ego on the things around me.
I want to live simply. I simply want to live.
Peace

Underdogs and long underwear

I have finally figured out how to use blogger. I have figured out how to create links and share more info.
First things first I have created and posted my race schedule for 2008. My "A" race is of course Ironman UK.
another highlight I am looking forward to is the Cleveland Half Marathon for the 30th running of the race. I am shooting for a 1:45. Long shot yes, but I believe I can run this distance in this time. I have been running well. My fitness is strong and my weight continues to drop. I am on pace to weigh 115 by may 20th...that's sick, just kidding. But seriously, I think I can, so I will give it my everything.
It was a fun weekend to sit on the bike trainer. Watching a Browns team that had everyone give up on them give everything they had, over come a two touchdown deficit with the backup QB, force overtime, and win a game that only they had thought they could win was so much fun.
I watched The UCLA Bruins shock the nation by upsetting USC. Now it is the Buckeyes and Gators for the National Championship. To bad Wisconsin doesn't get a shot, they had an amazing season. The big ten was tough......You gotta beat Michigan.
The last week of november was unreal. in the 60' s for 6 days. December came with a lot of wind and took out the power all over Coventry. Friday the whole street went to Lee road while the power company climbed poles. We all met with Dr. Unk. X-Mas Ale is sneaky.
Saturday the Temputares started to drop and now it is very cold. I stood at the bus stop for a long time this evening before and after my pool workout. I was so cold. For a moment I wished I could have been at home. But the strongest urge was to get my workout in.
Greatness is achieved by overcoming adversity, by reaching beyond our limits and always believing in ourselves.
The underdog wins, I swim, and we all could use some long underwear

Reunion

33 years ago I buckled my shoes and followed my brother to Fairfax elementary to begin 13 years of school in the Cleveland Heights system.
Many of the children I met that day stayed with me the whole way through. Some have died and some moved on while we were young. A small few I still see on a regular basis.
As we ascended to middle and then high school we were joined by others kids. By 1986 my class had grown to 1200 students.
In June of '86 our class had concluded our journey together. Some Started working, many went to college, some went into military service, some went to jail, and a few of us were asked to return for another year.
I was included in this group. I had attendance issues.
Fast forward 20 years.
Friday, while enjoying reggae at the Grog Shop, Mike whom I had seen a few months back at Matt's funeral, asked if I was coming to the 20 reunion.
Apparently you fall off the list by not making it to graduation. I do have my diploma and spent 13 years with these people. But I had not been invited.
Mike told me to go anyway. He was a class leader so I decided to go and not feel insulted or snubbed(thanks Mike).
Immediately I turned to my friend Maggie who witnessed the exchange and asked " wanna go?" to which she responded,"Hell Yes".
Saturday morning I ran into my closest friends from school. including my first kiss and broken heart. Carrie and I were close, and very much alike. We had different struggles in learning who we were. The things that brought us joy always seemed to be common for us. I remember visiting with her in Madison, WI. and playing guitar for hours at her co-op on Langdon. I remember feeling so complete and happy. Music was always our bridge, and it made me high.
While talking to Carrie, Becky, and Rebbecca. I had revealed that I was going for bike ride and that I had already run. Carrie asked, "Do you do triathlons?". "I do" I said. "I am signed up for an Ironman". Becky, and Rebbecca(she is also Becky, but this is her grown up name. I was Chuck, now I am Charlie) thought I was joking. But I think Carrie had no doubt. She saw the look in my eye and ran with the opportunity to turn the conversation into tri/talk. Carrie lives in Honolulu and loves triathlon. We both got all worked up. She was bummed to hear she missed the Du last week. The same shared joy we had with guitars was being revisited with triathlon.

That night I straightened my tye, found Maggie and headed to my 20th high school reunion with a 23 year old date. Ha Ha Ha. We both thought this very funny and maintained ambiguity as to the nature of our relationship.(We are friends) .
We arrived at the Embassy suites assuming after dinner cash bar. WRONG. $80 a head.
New wet suit, aerobars, and shifters. Sorry class of '86 we'll be in the lounge. maybe well bump into you.
I saw Hung and Gloria, and then we left.
I thought this was funny.
My reputation at Heights High was to almost make it to school, head across the street to the coffee shop, and eventually leave. I am glad my reunion followed that pattern.
It was good to see the people that I did see. I value what I received from this day.

My training for Ironman begins this weekend. My 1st time IM class is a really good group of people. We will train through the winter and starting in April we will all take our shot every month through November at Ironman.(or equal distance)
I believe the resolve in this group to be true. I believe next year at this time I can call Jody, Jack, Jennifer, Cat, Brooks, Tim, Pam, myself and others, Ironman.
The CTC long course group will be getting together to watch the kona race on the 9th. I look forward to seeing this years 1st time group reunite with there finisher shirts.
When the 2007 Ironman man class has a reunion I promise to get past the lounge...See you in 20.......

Thanksgiving for every wrong move.

Today was a perfect fall day.
I had planned to ride downtown for the turkey trot. Instead I caught the bus. The alone time was good for me. Introspection was good.

I arrived at the convention center at 8:30, got my timing chip, stripped down to my shorts and
long sleeve CTC t-shirt, packed my pack, and started looking for a place to stash it.

I ran into the Collisters, then Martha Brennan, then the men's room.
Finally I took Matt and Jen's advice and left my belongings with volunteers.

I had that funny pre race focus. It is similar to my pre gig mood. My aloofness is in hyper drive. I am really distracted and feel like I can't hold a conversation with anyone. I am happy to see every one, I just can't make my self attentive.

I do a little warm up and find my place in the crowd of 3000.

While waiting for the gun I start chatting with a young member of CTC. He is spending next summer in Australia doing Marine training with 2008 IMFLA in the long term plans. I try to say prayers for the kids serving for our nations defense. I want to see that kid finish the Ironman.

The bell sounded and the crowd began to move forward. 45 seconds later we crossed the starting line. I started moving quickly through the crowd. About a 1/2 mile into the race I caught Jack. We stayed together the rest of the race. We really pushed each other to run hard and had a really strong 2nd 1/2. I got the feeling that neither of us had run that hard in a while.
Following the race Jack and I wish everyone a Happy day of thanks and head to the Caribou.
Coffee
Coffee
Coffee.
I like Coffee.
After Jack left I still had to produce a veggie dish for the Mosbrook feast on Coleridge.
All week I had different people including my mom telling me to make a string bean casserole. The ingredients are: sting beans, cream of mushroom soup, and french fried onions.
Today was a day off the diet as I had planned, but it didn't mean I had to cook non vegan food.
I decided to modify the recipe to fit my current diet. Here is the Recipe:

Vegan Thanksgiving string bean casserole:
Wax Beans, string beans, and Poll beans
Coconut milk
garlic
pepper
basil
mixed mushrooms
Olive Oil
Red and white onions
Red Wine Vinegar

Cook garlic, pepper and shrooms together in soucepan
add coconut milk and sweet basil let simmer
Slice onions into rings and saute in vinegar oil and water cover and simmer.
pre heat oven to 400
clean beans.
mix all into a casserole and bake for 40 minutes while mixing every 10 minutes.

Reviews were good.
The rest of dinner was great and it was really a nice evening with the family.
After getting home I turned on Spider man and rode the trainer for an hr.

Happy Thanksgiving

A weekend of rest

I left work Friday with a plan to rest my tired bones.
I start my focused base building after Thanksgiving. The Turkey Trot is my kick off.
I started the weekend with a stop at the Co-op so I could stock up for a weekend of football, a little lebron time, a jog, and a volunteer gig at the final ctc fall duathlon. I dropped off my groceries and cought the 1st of 4 buses to Broadview Heights for the fall CTC meeting

While at the meeting Rob Reddy told me another CTC member Kurt Multer was doing UK next summer. Another American named Kelly Multer is registered, so the Red Menace should have a strong presence on an international stage. Very good news.
I told Matt that I would volunteer for the Du the next morning. He told me that they had more volunteers than participants and needed me to race. So of course I decided to race.
After the meeting a few of us headed to the Boneyard for food and beer/H2O. Who would'a thought I could eat vegan at a place called the boneyard.

Saturday, Jack picked me up 8 hrs after dropping me off and we headed south. The air was brisk but the wind was light. Another perfect fall morning in the valley.

My plan was to race easy. I set out slow. No chasing. I wasn't going to go hard. No HRM.
The problem was that once I warmed up I found my pace. I started moving up and was running 36 seconds per mile shy of 3rd place. I hit T1 6th of 8 participants.
We took off on our bikes maintaining run positions but I quickly reeled in the next rider and really started to hammer. Steady and strong. I hit T2 and took off running took 5 minutes off of my last time on this course. With race conditions being identical and my effort being easier I was very happy with my results. The new diet pays off.

Next stop was my couch, PC, and the2006 Big Ten Champion OSU Buckeyes. What a game. It lived up to its billing and made losses by the Cavs and Browns a little easier to swallow. During the fourth quarter I did a lifting workout. Go Bucks. This is the best team I have ever rooted for.

Throughout the weekend I also went on a shopping spree with the check from last weeks sound gig. I purchased shifters, carbon areo bars, stem, brakes and a full wetsuit. The waters of Sherborn Lake are a cool 65 degrees, so I will need sleeves. I am now a two wetsuit triathlete. I can't believe I found a clearance deal on a suit in my size. I know that if I wait a week the suit will be gone. I can expect a new Blue 70 wetsuit in time for Dec in Cleveland.
All that is left is a new fork and seat post and my bike will be ready for action.

Following the browns loss I went for a run of an hr. through the rain with a detour down some muddy trails. Very peaceful.

I definitely needed the weekend. Back to work for 3 days and then it's time for training and a long weekend.
GO BUCKS

Here is a song my old roommate Joe(Kirk Herbstreits Cousin) used to sing.

I don't give a damn 'bout
the whole state of Michigan
the whole state of Michigan
the whole state of Michigan

I don't give a damn 'bout
the whole state of Michigan

Couse I'm from O-HI-O

I didn't think it would happen today

Today was a planned 16hr production day. We did one yesterday. Long days with rare breaks. Go home refuel sleep and return.
I snuck a lifting workout in while watching southpark(Don't do this, it may cause a hernia when laughing during a rep). Other then that the only exercise I would get would be while climbing the ladder in and out of the lighting/sound loft at Karamu theatre.
I was brought in by the video production group I do jobs for to do audio. I reassemble my recording studio in a make shift control room and set up various mics throughout the theatre. I get one assistant whom I send into the the frontrow with a shotgun mic. After seeing the show 6 times the front row looses it's charm.
The show is called Gospel, Gospel, Gospel. It is about...Gospel music along with African American history and the civil rights movement. The show is really good and is produced by James Pickins(the older black doctor from "Grey's Anatomy").
Yesterday after the first show we broke bread. Everyone ate well. they ordered out to Boston Chicken. Beans, cornbread, corn, mashed potatoes, chicken. Nobody could tell me if the veggies were free of dead animals, their milk, or their eggs. I ate an orange a few green beans, and corn. The way I felt today I am sure it had pork and/butter through out. Fortunately I packed fruit and Cliff bars.
This morning we returned at 8am. Got set up and waited for our cues to begin single scene shots. All of the decision makers were disappearing into a series of meeting. At 10:30 Nick, our Production manager pokes his head in the door and informs me that the project was running over budget and we would settle for the footage we captured during the last two days work. We were to tear down and call it a day.

Sunday belongs to me. I thought I would work till 11pm again. We were done by 11 am.
I decided to watch football and clean the apt. After the Browns won, I headed out for a run.
I let my run wander down through University Circle.
The Circle is another running treat near me casa. The architecture, landscapeing, and campus feel make this area great for running.
Little Italy, the Geary building, Severance Hall, Wade Lagoon, Hessler and the garden center are highlights. Temples and churches line the treescape. I head back up the hill via the covered stairs on the south campus. Other runners are out as well as many people just walking.
I am lucky. I love running. Today I was able to run. I didn't think it would happen today.
The Browns winning kinda surprised me as well.

No fingers over the lens 

No brake levers over the lens, my bike knows how to shoot 

Peace Action

I stood on the porch of the Quaker meeting house watching the light flurries build into a full blown winter snowstorm. Beneath the street light at the end of Magnolia, snow showers seemed to be crashing and flowing in every direction possible. The cold bare grass quickly faded into a blanket of snow.
I also was covered in snow. I was cold and I didn't think the others were going to show up. We did have an events committee meeting planned. Didn't we? Well in any event, I have furfilled my service to the peace movement today.
I started walking back across the Case campus toward Euclid to catch the bus back up the hill. The snow was heavy. It is November 2nd, and it's snowing. "Boy am I glad it is not raining" I thought. "When I get to the bus stop I am stopping at Star*ucks and getting a soy coco."
A SOY COCO! Yeah, soy. As abruptly as the change of season, I have changed my diet. For the past month I have been following a vegan diet.
The first two weeks I allowed a couple of meals that included chicken and fish. Since then I have been living on a diet that is animal free. I maintain a can of clams and a can of tuna in the cupboard. I am going to continue to eat clams as a treat from time to time.

Why Vegan?
A month ago I was talking to a CTC friend Brian during a bike ride. Brian was strongly considering a vegetarian diet. He was having issues with the meat industry and its lack of humanity. His concerns were very real and honest. I couldn't help but to agree with him. I couldn't help but to realize that my life style was built around convenience. My diet had no disaplin. I had completely lost all mindfulness to myself and the world around me. It was time to change.
I choose vegan because it forces me to investigate every thing that I eat. My current diet forces me to prepare most of my food from scratch. When I eat out, I ask questions.
I know what I am eating.
My new diet is consistant with my cause of peace. I believe killing is wrong. I believe in protecting life. I choose this diet to realize my ideal of peace and compassion.
My disaplin is in triathlon. My goal is Ironman. My diet has to be true to that goal.
How do I feel?
I am loosing weight and getting stronger. Hypoglycimia has not been an issue at all. I no longer have cravings for sweets. My conscience is clear. I am a bit gassy.
I am saving money, I am cooking often. raw fruit, veggies, nuts and seeds are great snack at any time.
I haveTommy's downstairs. The food co-op is close. It is easy to eat at work. Being vegan is not hard.
I am very happy with my new path.
I am on the board for Cleveland Peace Action, but if I do not act in peace with every step than I can not expect the rest of the world to act in peace. My work toward the goal of peace is for not if my life is not a peaceful one. This begins with my diet.
Peace

Running with the Dead

No, not that dead. I am talking about one of my favorite local run routes.

Lake view cemetery is a few hundred feet to the north of my Coventry Road Apt. The entrance is at the top of Mayfield hill above Little Italy in Cleveland.
I usually take this run on Wednesday because I have day hours available before my bar shift later in the evening.
This past Wed. I headed down Hampshire and made a right into burial site of some many great Clevelander's like Rockefeller, President Garfield, Inventors Garret Morgan and Charles Brush, lawman Elliot Ness, and poet/friend Dan Thompson. Dan died from Leukemia 3 years ago.

(My friend Jodi is raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through the Janis Charity Challenge. Her fund drive is in support of her friend Steve who has been diagnosed with Lymphoma. You can sponsor her June Ironman by following this link.)

Lakeview is a Vitorian landscaped masterpiece that I imagineto be like the gardens around Sherbourn Castle(IMUK Marathon rt). This time of year really brings out its best. The Variety in trees are all changing on independent schedules. The contrast in color is brilliant. Like an impressionist painting stretched into a panorama above an amazing collection of gothic monuments dedicated to the memories of the industrial giants that built Cleveland a century ago,

The hills through out Lakeview make the run one of the toughest workouts of my week. Built against the first foothill of the Alleghenies. The climb from the wadechapel to the Garfield Memorial is one that will boost your heart rate thru the trees.

My favorite markers include: My friend Matt's new grave that is still with out a stone. I Stop to make sure the flowers atop him are standing straight.

I also make a point to stop by former Cleveland Indian Ray Chapmens site. The stone is decorated with old balls and caps along with a bat or two. It is one of the only graves to not be swept clean of its offerings every month. Chapman died after being struck by a pitch during the 1920 World Sreies run.

On the Superior end is a tree with hundreds of shoes hanging from each branch by the laces that have been tied together. I don't know the signicance of the shoe tree, but I always imagine the shoes are remembrances of young people that have died to violence in the nearby East Cleveland neighbor hoods.

The 285 Acre graveyard is divided by a ravine that has been damed to protect the city downstream. At the east end of the dam is one of the great views of the Cleveland skyline as well as, of course Lake Erie.

I have seen Deer, Coyote, and many a bird with many a feather.

The cemetery is well staffed with security and I awlays feel safe running through it.

If anyone ever wants to join me, let me know. Lakeview is a true history lesson. I know the grounds well.

Old Grey

Old Grey is a 1984 Nishiki royal 7 speed road bike. She was pulled from my friend Tommy's basement a year and half ago. Headed for the trash, I took her home, cleaned her up, gave her a tune up, and put her to work.
Tommy originally bought her in Japan while in the Navy. Rode her all over. Back then she was fast. A good racing bike. After the Navy, Tommy came back to the states and all but retired her to the basement.
The years have been good to her. she was stiff and her wheels needed straightening. The brakes needed adjusting. I gave her handle bars some new tape. And She wears new tires and tubes for her rims. Her grey steel frame is solid and comfortable and she flies down the bumpy roads of Cleveland.
Old grey immediately became my commuting bike. Equipped with a lock and lights, she is the workhorse in my stable. Most of her trips are shorter than 10 miles. She makes a lot of them. Weekly mileage often rivals that of the bike I train/race on.
The bike I train and race on is the Giant I have written about in earlier posts. While"The Little Giant" gets his(not sure how I know the gender, I just know) upgrade(which is going very smoothly I might ad), Old Grey got the call.
Training Day!
As a commuter bike her Idea of a training ride is to the pool or to meet Sheila for a run. Sometimes she will coax me into pushing her hard to or from work. But that hasn't happened much since the two of us crashed. Her front wheel was badly bent and she was given a month off while I acquired a new wheel for her. Since then we have been cautious and planned work outs are not her duty.
Today was a gorges fall day in Northeast Ohio. The air was crisp and the sky was blue with a light breeze. I wore long tights, a long sleeve technical mock turtle, a wind vest, stocking cap, running shoes(her peddles are flat....good for short trips), riding gloves, my Oakley's, and of course a helmet.
We headed first to the bank to make a deposit. Next we headed thru University Circle and out MLK to the lake. Feeling warmed up, Old Grey carried me up into Bratinal and east along Lakeshore BLVD. The waves of lake Erie and the mid autumn sky were a beautiful backdrop, and deserved a moment of slow riding to soak in the season. We headed south at 185th and climbed back into the heights thru the Euclid Creek metro park beneath the most amazing canopy of color as the leaves are in the midst of their metamorphosis. Continuing south on Belvoir to Shaker we rounded out the 26 mile ride thru Shaker Lakes and back to Coventry.
As the ride grew longer, that old bike became smoother, faster and stronger. She climbed steadily with power. She descended bravely. On the flats she cruised, ticking along as evenly as a politician distributing promises at election time.
She has no quit and part of me thinks she wants a piece of the Ironman.

As I watch the Mets/Cards battle for the right to play Detroit in the world series, I am in constant awe of Julio Franco still playing at 48 while contributing to a team tied 2 to 2 in the National League Championship Series. I listen to Jerry Garcia in the final few years of his life rockin harder than ever. I think of Ironman legend Bill Bell completing the IM many times into his eighties.
How old is to old?. I don't know. I never paid much attention to age. Old pants, old guitar, old race shirt. old shoes....it's funny when I get new running shoes, they are so clean and springy. I know within 3 months they are gonna be beat, worn, stinky, and grey. But like a cute puppy they all become old dogs, while always remaining the puppy in our minds. We continue to pull those shoes on run after run until they can't run anymore. We don't ever address it 'till we complain of pain, and other runners start questioning the date of our last shoe purchase.
Old Grey is not the newest of bicycles. But the grey is just paint. Beneath the paint she is made of steel. She loves to roll. She is not ready to quit. And She is going to carry me thru a good part of the journey.
After my 25/6 mile brick*, I have every confidence in my "other bike". Old Grey still has a lot of miles to give. She ain't done yet.

*Brick=bike ride followed by a run/termed derived from Pink Floyd lyric "just another brick in the wall")

Back to basics..............

As I rebuild my bike and prepare for my Ironman training, I realize that during this off season it is not just important to strip the bike of problems and replace them. This off season is a time for me to take a total inventory of all that I am, remove anything that will not help me achieve my goals and replace them with what I need to become an Ironman.
As the old components come off my bike, I realize how much garbage gets in the way of the bikes ability to function properly. I consider the same of myself and look for ways to exchange bad habits for strengths.

Nutrition: This is easy, I have no excuse for not eating well. I know how. I have good foods available to me from good sources. My daily Blueberry muffin/coffee breakfast is gone. I have replaced it with bananas, apples, oranges, yogurt, energy bars, water, and half the coffee. Variety is key.
Chicken/turkey, cheese, sauce, and bread(Subs) are not meals. Neither is pizza. Jolly ranchers and cookies may be great race food but they will not make me into an Ironman. Vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grains and fish. This is now my path. Ironman does not head out for pizza before bed. If I want to be an Ironman I will stop at the co-op or market and buy good foods. Eating cheap food on Coventry is like pouring pop into my derailur. Neither the bike or I will function properly If I keep adding garbage into the works.

Swimming: I am not a fast swimmer in freestyle. I swam breast stroke on swimteam as a kid. I used it during my first season in triathlon. It is my comfort zone, but it is not energy or space efficiant for triathlon. Jen used to teach me good technique for the front crawl, but I remain slow. I feel unbalanced in my stroke mechanics and drag my body thru the water.
I want to enter the Ironman waters of Sherborn Lake with absolute confidence in my swimming. I do not want to waist energy. I want the swim to be a relaxed warm up for the bike.
I have been offered a free swim lesson by a teacher. I will most likely continue beyond the free lesson and pay for more lessons along with joining a masters group. I have been reluctant to join a group because I hated swim team as a kid. Time to get over it.

Stretching/lifting/core strength: takes 30 minutes three times a week. The gym is my apt. No excuses for not doing this session. In two weeks of steady sessions I already notice my body getting stronger and the benefits transferring to my running.

Loneliness: This one is tough, because I know I am cared about by many people in a genuine way.
I am friendly with all of the neighbors. I have Zac, Nichole, Becca, Addie, Brendon, and the rest of the AJ Roccos Crowd. Coventry treats me like royalty and continues to embrace me with love. The Cleveland Triathlon Club gives me contact with many who share my passion. Jack, Jodi, Jennifer and Cathleen are also heading into Ironman for the first time next year. Jen, Andrew, Payton, and Matt have been to the IM mountain. All have offered support along the way. My family's love and support is always present.
But triathlon is a lonely sport. It is a sport of self focus. Hours and hours for months and months as miles and meters roll by. I am on my own.
I am a single man with a goal of Ironman. I have little to offer in terms of time at this point in my life. Romance is remote and I am OK with that.
I have no regret or past resentments towards Jen for the time she spent training. I actually look back at being an IM spouse with great appreciation. Sharing her journey was an enriching part of who I am today. But I know the commitment to Ironman is huge and being the partner to an athlete trying to become an Ironman is also a huge commitment. I can't expect that from anyone.
I love to be loved and loneliness is an inherent part of the journey. But loneliness is self defeating and selfish. I have no need for loneliness. Loneliness will not make me an Ironman.

During this time, I must draw from my spirituality to overcome loneliness. I know I am never alone. I know I have alot of people that will be there with me thru out the journey, finish or fail, I am never alone.


I am the most important and irreplaceable piece of equipment I have. Just as I take care of my bike and gear I must care for my body, mind and spirit. Anything I do during my training is coming with me to the UK. It is up to me to make the right choices. I must rebuild my foundation to support an Ironman. Right now I must get back to basics....

Bound to cover just a little more ground...

Friday night I made the decision not to run in the Towpath Marathon or 1/2 marathon.
I made the choice not to spend my money on a finisher medal. I chose a day of solitude in exchange for the time spent with all of my friends yesterday and friday.

I love the towpath. The course is beautiful. The Cuyahoga Valley fall display of change is amazing. One last long race for the year.
The reasons to run this race are countless. I had tapered and maintained a pre race diet all week just in case I wanted to race. Prepared for spontaneity, I sat this one out.

In my little apartment I have a pegboard that hangs above my bike. From the board hangs a collection of finisher medals and the two age group awards I won years back. Beneath my hanging trophies are my bike tools. Like bookends on both sides of my bike are small shelves with bike components, shoes, paddles, goggles, rags, lube for both my bike and myself, sunglasses, tubes, sunscreen, and so on.

The choice not to run a marathon today was a choice to add to the lower half of my pegboard. Had I run I would have spent $65 on entry. The medal would hang beside the others. Instead I spent my money on tools.

I am rebuilding my bike. I have a Giant OCR from 2001. The frame is lite and compact. The components reliable but old and heavy. I have decided to stick with the bike for Ironman.
However it's time for a make over. Time to lighten the load and prep my ride. So currently the bike is completely dismantled except for the bottom bracket. I borrowed a BB tool from Cain Park Cycles, but it didn't quite fit. So off to Bike Nashbar I go for a BBT and a chainwhip.

Anyhow, Sunday arrives and I am itching for a long run. So following a waisted 3-1/2 hours with the Browns, I fill my fuelbelt with some sports drink sample from Cliff, grab some Jelly Belly Sport Beans(time to experiment with new race food). Load an '85 Dead show my friend Jason just gave me onto a minidisc. Strap on my heart rate monitor. Pull on some shorts,socks, shoes, and a tshirt and wrap sunglasses around my face.
I headed over to my old playground at shaker lakes and doan brook for a 2hr run

The Grateful Dead shows make good training partners. My introduction to endurance sports was dancing allnight and playing hackysack at amphitheatres across the country.

The show for this run opened with "Dancing in the Streets", as my shoes hit the pavement on Lancashire.

Later in the run I found myself laughing outloud amongst a crowded trail as the audience chants "let Phil sing" for the bass player. The band gives in and Phil Lesh sings an awkward "Tom Thumb Blues" by Dylan. As I head off road late in the run, the drummers create a tribal beat taking me deeper into the woods off northpark.
When I emerge from the woods I am starting to feel the distance in my legs and the drummers have cleared out for an atonal non-rhythmic space jam. I am feeling tired and weary. The chill of sunset is moving in. Floating thru space and chaos I just want to be done with this run.... I eat the remainder of my Jelly Beans, Jerry plays a firmiliar theme and the band follows into a song called "The Wheel".

"Wheel is turning and you can't slow down
You can't let go and you can't hold on
You can't go back and you can't stand still
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will

Won't you try just a little bit harder?
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?
Won't you try just a little bit harder?
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?

Round round run around
Gotta get back where you belong
Little bit harder, just a little bit more
Little bit farther than you than you've gone before

Small wheel turn by the fire and rod
Big wheel turn by the grace of God
Everytime that wheel turn round
bound to cover just a little more ground"

-Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter

My legs and resolve come together. My heart rate monitor begins screaming as the band launches into "Truckin".

The last mile my heart rate was pounding 25 BPM faster than it had for the previous 110 minutes. I fell a few minutes short of the 2hrs planned.

Was it the the jelly beans, the dead or both?.

I didn't run a marathon this weekend. I ran a dead show. Long Slow Distance. What a trip.

My marathon is 11 months from now..."Bound to cover just a little more ground".