Three

3 was the first pick the Browns had in the draft.
3 picks for Clevelands best draft since Lebron
3-0 Cavs over wizards
3 runs in the 8th as the Indians take a 3 game series against the 3rd place Orioles
3000 yards in the pool this morning
3 swimmers in my lane.
3 miles on the bike to and from the train station.
3 powergels in my fuelbelt
3 o'clock meet up with Dane for long run.
3 hr run on the towpath this afternoon
3 weeks till Rite Aid.
I am ready.

"Race to Remember" recap

Following a week of steady training, a gig, a Peace Action board meeting, and of course, work, I rolled into Friday knowing I had earned a rest day. I left work and headed to indies(Indian food) for some tasty food. I stopped at the bank to deposit my check and took the train home.

Friday night some of the Coventry locals threw a party. Keg of Dortmunder Gold and some great food. The women(Julia) cooking everything made lots of vegan food specifically for me. The party included an Art Piece hunt. I found a DVD of my friend XELA whom I produced a CD for a few years back. I also found a some glass that had been blown by my friend Tack. Very fun party with lots of old friends. The only thing that bothered me was the Turduckin. Shove a duck into a chicken and shove both smaller birds into a turkey. Deep fry it.......
Is anybody else really creeped out by this?. What is wrong with Americans?.
I left before these 3 birds were defiled.

Saturday I set off to Mayfield Hts to meet up with 2 Jacks and Adam for a little 67 mile ride followed by a 1 mile brick run. I am now bright red...I need to buy some sunscreen.
I had Thai for dinner and had a last minute gig at the Barking Spider. The Spider is my favorite place to play. Full house.
2 gigs this week. Both of them positive. This makes me happy.

This all brings us to race morning.
"A Race to Remember" is a 10k/5k that runs through the Flats in downtown Cleveland. The race benefits the Alzheimer's foundation.
The morning was perfect. Sunny and warm. I rode my bike to the race.
Pre race was good. Said "hello" to Daisyduc, TriSaratops, and Roger from CTC. Had some personal time in the water closet. I met Dane and lined up at the start.
Because the race was chip timed I lined up deep in the field. The bell sounded, and we were off.
My plan, move forward through the crowd and hold 8 minute miles.
My only concern was fatigue from yesterdays ride.

At mile3 my pace was right on and I was fighting through the fatigue. My mental focus was steady and I felt negative splits could be a reality.
To my surpise the next split was very fast...to fast....the 4 and 5 mile markers never showed. I just dug in till the finish.

Chip        Clock        Pace
43:56.45    44:28.70     7:05/M

Not an April Fools joke this time.
The course was cut short because a lift bridge had been raised for a barge.

I mapped out the course on Google earth and found it to be 5.58 miles. My actual pace was 7:52 mile.
I did what I wanted to do.
I rode home. I watched The Cavs do what they wanted to do.
Good races were also had by everyone I talked to.

Final Note
Please respect what you eat. It gave its life so you can have yours.
Shoving multiple animals into one another is not my idea of respect.
Say "No" to Turduckin!

"All the true things I am about to tell you are all shameless lies,"

Finding meaning in an otherwise meaningless world. This was the goal of Bokonism, the religion described in Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle".

I use races in the same way. Not that I don't see all of the benifits in living a triathletes lifestyle.

I make a lot of positive decisions to attain the title IRONMAN. The goal of a medallion and a finishers shirt gets me out of bed on sunday at 6:30 for a swim.

Somewhere along the way good things start to happen. I start getting up at 6:30 am because I enjoy the folks that are at Oberlin every other Sunday. I look forward to the conversations with friends that I would never have met had I not been doing triathlon. I look forward to a focused and structured workout .

The people at the workout are goal oriented for the sake of the process. The reward is unexplainable. In a world that sometimes feels so out of control with greed. A triathlete works to get better because healthy people want to succeed. A healthy community wants everyone in the community to succeed. Our reward exist deep within. When we do well, we know our reward. When we see others around us do well we share in the celebration of each others accomplishments.

In my journey to a meaningless race I find many answers to life's questions. I come to understand what hurts me. I come to see what creates suffering in me. What makes me weak and steals my health.

This journey has shown me how to overcome my weaknesses. How to walk away from destructive habits. How to recognize problems and work to rectify them.
My training has shown me the value of rest. Real rest. Rest is when we heal.

Through my training I become a better person every day.

I don't really see any great meaning in a race.
The meaning I find is found along the way.
The promised land is not a destination. The promised land is happening RIGHT NOW.


So long Kurt. Your stories have shaped much of my thought. I raise my feet to you.

I am a fan

Triathlon season in the northern hemisphere has begun. CTC triathletes have already begun to post great races. the Boston marathon is monday. Opening day is tomorrow......Kinda. Due to a lot of snow and the gamesmanship of the "human snow delay", Mike Hargrove(as a player he was known as the human rain delay because of his ability to drag out time, making adjustments at the plate). The tactic would really keep the pitcher of balance and skrew up the rythem of the pitcher.

As we train, we are we are thrown a steady diet of pitches. The weather here on the great lakes throws curve balls, change ups, sliders, fastballs, Knuckle balls, Spitballs, it brushes you off the plate, and once in a while it just beans ya. Drills you in the ear peice. The kind of pitch that makes your batters helmet ring for weeks due to the sustained echo in your head.

Cleveland is harsh, and as Bloggister wrote, April is the cruelest month.

The need to make adjustments in training is constant. My wardrobe is immense right now. I have gear for every thing. I am not ready to put anything into storage. This week I have run in every variable of clothing. My trainer remains front and center in the living room. Workout times are planned according to the bus schedules.

As summer approaches so will thunderstorms and heat waves. I have run very few perfect weather races in my life. It is just the way it is. Weather changes often in Cleveland , Ohio

The tribe have been temporarily relocated to Milwaukee to play under a dome this week due to mother natures Cy Young performance.

I am not a dome fan. I think the records are all screwed up due to domes. No distiction is made. It is controlled. Track records are distingushed between indoor and outdoor, but not baseball or football.

If Ironman were run in the Mall of the Americas it wouldn't be Ironman. Triathlon is about remaining flexible and rolling with the punches. Triathlon demands that you be prepared to deal with any and every obstacle in your path if you want to finish.

What seems so frustraiting to so many people I talk to, is a great opportunity for me to develope my mental strength. In endurance sports we get very few chances at an "A" race thru the year. Weather is always a factor. Our races are shaped in part by the weather, but our races should not be decided by the weather. Unless the RD says so. I need to be prepared.

Anyhow, this being the night before the "official Opening day" here in Cleveburg. I say "Go Tribe" and "Good luck Boys". I will be following the BA's, ERA's, Wins, and Losses. I will pontificate from time to time on what move Shapiro and wedge need to make. I will demand that some retire or be traded. I will wonder why the wonder boy of the farm is stuck in Akron, while some stiff is sleeping in left field. I am a fan of baseball and I look forward to the season ahead.

This year however my heart is with all of you. My hopes are for Ironman finishes, PRs, BQ's first races, Marathons, and short course success. My hope goes to all of you for safe travels across highways, mountains and oceans.

I look forward to following all of your successes and struggles. I look forward to hearing how we all deal with adversity and overcome our personal weaknesses.

I am reading the sports page here in blogland. I am following your races.
If you are ever in a race and think "does any one care if I finish in 138th place of the stinkyvill 5k?". Know that I do. I am rooting for all of you. I am a fan. I hope I get a chance to meet all of you during our travels. Have a great season. May we all find peace.

Meet My Dad

Here is a photo of my Mom and Dad. I went to their house last night to celebrate my Dads birthday, and for Easter. My brother, the folks, Zeus, Artemus the Cat, and I Gathered round the table for dinner.
My family has been really supportive about my diet. Roasted veggies and and rice, apple pie and soy ice cream......and Vino....the appetiser did have an animal product, but I ate around it....humus and cut veggies lightly garnished with dog hair. Zeus was sooo happy to see me. He wagged and wagged. Yum, dog hair in the humus.

We sang happy birthday while Susie and Sarah joined us from Chicago via speaker phone.
My dad is a cool fella. I could say a lot about him. The first thing that comes to mind is respect. He seems to respect everyone, and everyone seems to respect him. I think the only lack of respect he ever received was from the for of us kids while we dealt with adolescences and Artemus the cat after she woke up on the wrong side of the radiator.

Here is a bio of my dad that someone wrote. it is fairly accurate.

We all had a good time, My mom and her 3 men.

In other news(little tribute to my dad)

Dane and I had a 2:40 hr run planned. It was snowing, but not to badly. She called and asked if we were really going to run in this snow storm. I announced "of course we are going to run". Deep down I had the same reservations about the weather, but she wasn't going to see it. I told her I would help her train for a marathon.

When we began running the weather was becoming BAD. The kind of wind and snow that just hurts to run into. the roads were covered in slush and we were making life for motorist hard.
We decided to reevaluate the run ever 1/2 hour and just meander through Cleveland Heights and Shaker. 2 hr and 43 minute later We were done. The run was a good one. The snow continued. so far the Easter blizzard is second only to the Valentines day blizzard of '07.
You gotta love Cleveland.

Darkest before the Dawn

Yesterday we had temps of 81 degrees. I took full advantage. As a triathlete training through the winter in Cleveland, Ohio, you never take days like these for granted.

When I arrived home for the night I looked at the radar(Some of the training tools we have are awesome. The desktop weather center is very cool.) and I saw something nasty moving east. I logged my workouts and read blogs. Apparently it was snowing in Iowa.

We all know what happened next. The wind blew, temps plummeted throughout the day and by 5PM snow was here once again. I had seen this coming long enough to schedule a run and lift day.

It took an hour of hearty procrastination to get running but by 6:10 I headed out the door and west down Mayfield toward Little Italy. The music was Yousou N'dour singing "My Hope Is In You". An African song of hope got me going and enabled me to quickly find my groove.

I hadn't really noticed the buds and blooms yet. The city was still winter black and white. Everything was still bare.

The Snow was starting to really come down. As I descended down Mayfield, it seemed as if the forsythia was blooming its first golden sign of spring in front of my eyes. A few more branches along the way were bursting with green. It was snowing while spring was happening before my eyes.

I ran down into University Circle which seemed like watching fireworks on independence day. I ran past the Cleveland Museum of Art and noted to my self that I needed to hurry up and go see the Monet exhibit. As I turned and headed around the lagoon in front of the museum I saw the willows and cherry Blossoms, forsythia and ground cover all coming back to life. The snow was like a thin veil lightly turning the scene pale while the new colors of spring were swimming together in a surreal manner that reinforced my desire to see the great impressionists work.

I traveled past a couple of softball games at Case. I saw an inside the park home run in one game. In another game I saw a catcher stop a similar outcome with nerves of steel at the plate as he survived a plate collision reminiscent of Pete Rose and Thurman Munson.

I headed up the hill and headed home.
One last shot at winter for the year. I don't want to miss this part. The earth is waking from it hibernation. As a triathlete training through the winter in Cleveland, Ohio, you never take days like these for granted.

No workout tomorrow. My pal Brendon is coming in from AZ and we are going to sit behind the score table at the Q for Shaq and Lebron.

Right now I am procrasnating my lifting. G'night

Bridges to Recovery 5k Race Recap

This was an unscheduled race for me. The decision to run it was made last Sunday to give Dane some race experience. Needless to say, I was not altering any plans for this race.

Yesterday I did a 2hr brick. Watched the IM 70.3 Championship on NBC. Followed Jodi and Matt's race in Cali(Amazing Job to both of you.) Went to help my friend Becca buy a road bike. I ate dinner while watching OSU beat Georgetown(Time for some Gator revenge). I went to the Peace Action "Peace Jam". Met Rob Reddy at the Grog shop and danced till 1:30am.

Well rested I was not. At 7:45 this morning I rode my steed to the rapid station after quickly developing a flat. I arrived at the race with 20 minutes to spare. I met with Dane,and we walked to the starting line. I did a brief warm up. I lined up near the front, the bell sounded and we were off. The first mile went up and over the Hope Memorial bridge. My pace was fast and I could see the front runners. Mile 2 we hit wind as we traveled past the Hard rock and Jacobs field. I was feeling fast despite my night of dancing and drinking. Mile 3 came back over the Lorain Carnegie bridge and past the West Side Market. All systems were go and I pressed forward knowing that I was having a good race. At the 3 mile mark we turned for the final .11 mile and I finished with a strong time of 13:21.87.

This was a good race for me. My best 5k in 7 years. Wahoo!

So I waited

I had planned on a Friday off day. I am doing a 5k on Sunday. So I figured it was good timing.

Nichole stopped in at work and told me about a vegan dinner and lecture this eve(Thursday) at the library near my folks house.
Long story/short...I switched rest days and went to the dinner. My body needs it, the race is maybe a c-race. I need info.
I showed up at about ten minutes early to a very small group. Within 10 minutes the room was full.
Some how when getting in line for dinner, I wound up at the back of the line. I was offered a spot closer, but I felt it wasn't fair to other people. So I waited.
The first folks in line, especially the men seemed to pile the food on the plates. those of us at the back wondered if there would be any food left. We were hungry and the line didn't move quickly.
The opportunity for practicing Buddhist teachings I have been studying presented it self, and I took it.
I was worried. Why was I worried?. I was worried for fear. Fear that I would come to the food table and no food would be left. I would remain hungry through the lecture. After the lecture I would be tired and dizzy. and so on......
It was okay to feel this way, but I knew the nature of my fear was silly. so I acknowledged the fear and moved forward. I breathed for the moment. I practiced mindfullness. I really tried to absorb the energy that was present in the room. It was a good energy.
As soon as I gave up my Self, the line had arrived at the food table. The food was abundant. I, as well as the 30 people that had joined the line after me were fed well.

Soon after the meal a vegan nutritionist named Anya spoke about how to maintain a healthy vegan diet. Mostly info I had already gathered on my own, but reaffirming what I have read on the web has its place.

The vegan community seems healthy here in town. Thats good to know.
I had a good night.

Kickin' it on Coventry

I had a really nice weekend of training. The only problem I had was having to return to the trainer Sat. due to heavy rains. I am looking forward to long out door rides. Got a long one in while watching OSU as it blue past Memphis.

Friday Zac, Nichole, and I went to the Cafe Limbo for some tasty veggie cooking, music and beer. I had a stir fry entree' and a portabella appetizer. It was all really good. The restaurant is in an old house on Larchmere.

Today I enjoyed the sun and warmth. I rode to the pool, and got a nice run in with Dane. I had a production meeting at the Barking Spider later. We sat on the patio. I was trying out B Bops B12 suggestion with hops. "Holy Moses" by Great Lakes Brewery. Tasty unfiltered Wheat ale...I had 2....Yum.

One thing I have been wanting to do is to play hacky sack. I love this silly game.
It really helps me with flexibility and footwork.

If you don't know, hacky sack is played with a small bean filled ball(footbag). The goal is to prevent the bag from landing on the ground while not using your hands. You can play with any number of players. I prefer 2-3. No score is kept. You just play for the moment. If it hits the ground you pick it up and serve it. This can go on for hours.

When I play, I get fixed on the sac like a dog and a tennis ball. I move around a lot and play a fearless and active game. I don't like the tricks people attempt. Sort of messes with the flow of a game.

After the Cavs lost I walked to the corner and started kicking. Within seconds I was joined by 2 others. We played for an hour or so. It was fun, but I am out of practice. The easy stuff was there, but when I would go airborn I would foul every thing off and away from other players. The stuff behind my back was inconsistent and the no look stuff was all 50/50. It will come back to me soon. It's early spring.

The coffee thing is going well. 1 cup in the morning. Sleep is really easy now. I lay down, close my eyes, and wake up to the alarm refreshed.

I checked out the new Whole Foods Market this morning. My immediate reaction was:
NO BIKE RACKS!?What?
I filed a suggestion. and locked my bike to a bunch of shopping carts....hehehe.
16 ounces of Hempseed oil for $8.99. Good Deal.
Crowded, to many people, long lines.
I got my oil and left.
I will investigate again.

Anyhow, Happy Spring.

Boomerang Bug.

March has been tough on me. I have had a cold, I turned my ankle, and I spent the past week being beat'n down by what I will call a boomerang bug.
It started last week and just kept reappearing every time I thought it was gone.
This bug caused extreme stomach issues and fatigue. My appetite was light. I missed a lot of work outs, and my mood was blue. I know it is a flu bug because Zac and Nichole have suffered the same symptoms.
I made it through my long run Sunday. I was motivated by a new friend name Dane. I know her from AJ Rocco's and offered to help her train for the Cleveland Marathon. I did this with Sheila last year. The trade off is experiance for enthusiasm. It helps. Sunday, Dane really pulled me for 2:20.
I took advantage of the good weather mid week by spending some quality time in the saddle. Most of my pool time was spent taking guidance from Steve. Aside from that, I took it easy.
I felt better today. I ate well and I did 2 workouts. I feel normal.
CTC Blogger Jodi had some health issues a month back. She just concluded a monster week of training with few complaints and lots of confidence. So I know if my base training is solid, I have little to worry about. I know it is part of the journey. Just a small bump. I know everything will be fine. But the down time sucks.
Spring starts today and my health has improved.
Let the good times.

One more thing.
B12 is something I need. I was reading Veg*Triathlete's blog and noted that she supplements with it. After a little research I understood why.

Oh yeah, one more thing. I am trying to cut coffee down to 1 small cup a day instead of my usual 67 ounces or so. Wish me luck.

St Baldricks Fun

The early estimates have us raising over 200K to fight childhood cancer at AJ Rocco's alone.
This fund raiser is huge.
Thanks to all who sponsored me. You can still donate by using the link in the sidebar.

Thanks also to Kirk, Sandy, and Denny for handling the camera.

The Trifolk Crew
Zac, Nichole, and I headed to the UK bald, bald, bald. No one will suspect that we are dirty hippies

It's gone
Boy will this save time in the shower between workouts

Brendon
The boss and his bald AJ Rocco's crew.

This is the only way he can keep us groomed (dirty hippies)

Zac and Nichole

Trifolk IMUK support crew/ My friends

Michelle and Jay
Michelle works with me and Jay is a fellow Coventry musician

Maggie(Maggie appears in the post "Reunion") and Adam
My Caribou friends/Barristas unite to fight children's cancer

Dogs and thunder

As I slumbered deep in my dreams I heard the phone ring. It was a distant ring. The kind of ringing that you can accept as a part of the dream. After half waking I realised that the ring was real.
At 5am there are few reasons why my phone would ring.

1. Drunk call from an x.
2. Family emergency.
3. Zac can't get to work.

If you guessed 3, you are correct. Whatever bug my body battled and beat apparently was kicking Zacs ass and winning. When this kinda thing happens I get to go to work early. So I showered, dressed and jumped on the bike.

As luck would have it the rains were light. I crashed badly last summer during an early morning downpour. Crashing your bike hurts if you are lucky. I had given myself time, so I could take it slow if need be. The fact that I had to leave early saved me from heavier rains.

With Zac out, I assumed that I would be going solo till 10. Sucks, but I handled it and tips were good. I was able to leave at 2:30. Cool!

If I get out early, I like to go to the little Indian place in the Colonial arcade on Euclid. This is what I did. After lunch I headed around Browns Stadium and headed home along the lake front. The ride is flat and rough. The lake looked cool as most of it has thawed, except for random ice chunks. The wind was easy. The ride was nice.

As I turned down MLK and headed south along the bike path, I felt my seat bag come loose. I slowed to tighten it. As I slowed I notice several dark patched in the woods across the Doan Brook. The shapes began to take form as I focused and I thought that I may be seeing a pack of wild/abandoned/stray dogs. I began to move forward again when I realised that they were dogs and that they were very interested in me and my bike.

Crap! I decided to go for it. I decided to test the speed of the dogs.
Crap! Those dogs were fast. About six of them. They were led by a lab Shepperd mix and he and I were 3 feet apart.

I fiercely yelled "NOOOO!".
The dog didn't obey.

I hopped my bike into MLK.(This is sort of like jumping from a burning building to avoid death by fire). MLK is Nuts.

I signaled to the car behind me for help. Traffic seemed to get what was happening and allowed me to escape to the other side.

Boy, that was close.

With my knees still shaking I peddled up to University Circle. As I passed the VA I noticed my rear wheel was soft...softer....Flat............
So I sat on the stairs of the Quaker Friends House and fixed the flat. Peddled home. Switched bikes. An rode till the thunder came.
Maybe Someday I will be reborn as thunder. When I am, I am gonna go scare those dogs good.

Be careful out on the roads. Dogs bite, cars kill, and helmets save.

75 degrees

I went to bed feeling a little sick in my belly last night. I didn't eat well yesterday and my legs hurt. Aside from that I felt fine.
After work I stopped at the Food Co-op to get some more hemp protein powder. While I was there I got some tasty granola, some almond milk, a rice dream bar, and an oatmeal cookie. After checking out I sat in the Bus shelter and had a pigout session.
Oops.
I got home, had some granola and an orange and just started feeling bad.
I figured an easy spin would fix me up abit.
Nope.
I made a smoothie and went to bed.
I woke up still feeling bad, so I scrapped the bike commute. Cleveland has a way to go in terms of being bike friendly. With my attention compromised with sickness, I thought the first ride in was a bad idea.....Drat.

As the day went on it became clear that this day was made for training. Unfortunately I was dizzy and queasy. I was allowed to go home, but I stuck it out. made it till 4 and headed home.

Walking down Coventry from the bus stop, I felt something different. I felt something that has been absent in my life lately....I felt warm sunshine. The neighbor hood was alive. Folks were jogging, riding bikes, pushing strollers, walking slowly, and sitting on the corner(Coventry has a corner park that we call Monkey Island. On a nice day or night it can be packed).

I went up to my Apt. and instinctively changed in to my run gear. Not the stuff I talked about last month, but shorts, a tech T, no socks, a visor, and the Oakley's with the dark tint. I Pulled up some Peter Gabriel("Womens Day") and hobbled down Hampshire.
With the sunshine falling down on me, my stiffness eased. My belly mellowed and my tight hobble became a trot. 3 miles later I jogged home down Coventry waving and smiling at all of my neighbors. I am goofy like that.
I still needed more sunshine.....
Next, I rode to the pool for an easy swim, rode home, and had a beer while watching the Lebronless Cavs win by 24. ...This team is starting to heat up heading into the playoffs.
For dinner I had a big salad. And I feel fine.
Tomorrow.....No bus.....Bike to work day at AJ Rocco's.

Shamrock 15k Recap

The Shamrock 15k is put on by the Summit Athletic Running Club. It takes place in the Cuyahoga Valley area near Blossom Music Center(summer home to the Cleveland Orchestra). The race has a reputation for its hills. I last ran it in 1999 and took 2nd in my age group with a finish time of 1:09.
Zac drove down with me. He misunderstood my message and called me at 7am to let me know he was almost here.
Oops, the race starts at noon, no big hurry. anyhow, we had coffee and he fell asleep while I got ready and ate.
I had some Kashi puffed grain and added chopped dates, raisins, craisins, blueberry's, sunflower seeds, a banana, and soy milk. I also had an orange.
At 10:20 we left and headed south. I was pre registered and we were on target time wise to allow me lots of time.....And then we got lost.
So with 14 minutes till the gun we arrived and I ran in, pinned on my number, said hello to JenC, hit the 'let, threw my stuff in the Volvo and ran to the start.
I never ceased running from that point as the horn sounded upon my approach. So I hit my watch and began weaving threw the crowd.
I like starting near the back as it forces me to start slow and pass other runners through out the race.
The weather was perfect. 40 degrees and sunny with a light breeze. It felt like spring.....Wahoo!
The race starts with a rolling dissent into the Cuyahoga Valley. The Valley is really one of NE Ohio's great treasures. The last of the Allegheny rivers before ohio becomes a plains state. The woodlands here are beautiful and are now designated as National Park Land.
In the first mile we passed by the Humane Society to an overjoyed kennel of dogs. 155 runners to bark at. This made me smile. Then it made me sad. I wish I could addopt. My home is to small and without a yard.
My pace was around 7:25per mile heading into the valley. My plan was to to run the 1st 5k in 23 minutes and take advantage of the downhill.
Everything was working.
When we hit the flat at the river I began picking off runners 1 by 1. I felt very confident that my base work was paying off and that I could maintain the effort through out.
At mile 4 the course takes a sharp and steep turn back out off the valley.
I yelled "let the party begin", and bounced up to the hill.
I chatted with 1 fella for a minute but dropped him during a climb.
By 10k I was at 48 minutes, right on goal pace.
I heard a runner gaining ground behind me, but felt comfortable with how the distance to the next runner was shrinking.
She caught me and we ran together for another mile and a half before she pulled away.
Finally out of the valley and headed to the finish, I felt strong.
I finished at 1hr and 15 minutes. for an 8:03 pace.
My plan and body came together.
I am VERY satisfied with the result.
After the race I talked with Jen and her friends Sam and Carrie.
GCT race director, Mickey Rzymek stopped to say something funny while I waited for the awards. Mickey promised the Big Hill is still on the new Greater Cleveland Triathlon course.
As the awards wound down I headed back to the Volvo to find that Zac had awakened from his slumber.
Got back to the Heights. Watched OSU beat the badgers. GO BUCKS! Little scary in the first half as Greg Oden went as silent as Troy Smith did during the BCS game.....And I ate some Thai for dinner
I plan to hurt tomorrow. This race beats you up.

Rebirth of warm...

Spring is near.
I hope to ride to the pool tommorow.
I have a race Sunday.
Shamrock 15k.
Sping is near.


Really.

new jersey

I opened my mailbox today and wahoo, a package fom the UK.

This is the first non web related Ironman contact I have had. I was excited and ripped open the package like a 5 year old on Christmas.

Inside was a Ironman UK water bottle and an In-Training bike jersey.

"Size small?!" I guess my diet is going well. A little snug, but it fits.

Apperently the sizes were a size larger than the label.

Sick

This past week brought a cold into my existence. I expect it to happen around this time of year.
It was my first chance to test my immunity against the diet and increase in training.
The bug took hold about 12 hrs after my long run last week. I had gotten in a weekends worth of long distance stuff, and I had left the door wide open for a little flu bug.
Fortunately the big workouts were done. so the two off days may have given me recovery that I don't often get following big workouts. All and all my body is feeling structurally sound.

Monday I came home from work, made a veggie chili, big salad, orange and a pair. I went to bed on my sofa and watched sitcoms. They mostly sucked, however 2 and a 1/2 men seems like a good one.

Tuesday was one of those "why am I at work?" days.
It was also a "why am I MC'ing the PEACE ACTION annual meeting", night.
I was exhausted Tuesday. I just wanted to sleep.

By Wednesday I wanted to run. I did some research on running with the flu/cold.
I probably should have just rested. Instead I found information to support my desire/fear of fitness loss and headed out for a 10 minute trial run followed by 35 more minutes of an OK run.

Thursday I rode for an hour before another Peace action events planning meeting. I am the Chair of this committee so it is really hard for me to skip. (We decided to surrender to Japan) That's what liberals do, right?(notice tongue in cheek)

By Today I felt better a bit. I rode my bike to the rapid station and all the way home.
I ran a few miles, and I swam about 1600 yards. Not 100 percent. Not even 90. But I am up and training. This weekend is an easier plan than last. Hopefully I won't miss much more.

Getting sick is no fun.
Stay healthy. Eat well and rest.

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