Two blogs in two days...wowza baby. I woke this morning recovered from the Lord Hill episode. K, more like semi recovered. My body was reminding me that the prior days activities were a bit taxing however it was nothing to call 911 about. What helped was dinner with great friends - good company and laughter is hard to beat and I believe it's good medicine. The evening wrapped up with the fireplace and complete relaxation - I was ready for the brick workout Sunday morning.
There was sort of a plan in place to ride our new bikes after swim. I was looking forward to riding with Sharon. She's learned a lot about biking and would push me. Being somewhat of a newbie on the bike I knew I needed that. I could picture her ahead of me turning her head to see where I was only to be disgusted that I was falling behind. "Jesxx Fucxxx Chxxxx, are you some little pusxx boy or what? Pick it up or I'll drop you where you stand (or ride in this case)." Lol! Actually she is very supportive as her runners have learned. She's a teacher first - but don't hold back with her - she can get the best out of you.
I rode in to the Y in a light rain and as I rolled up I was nervous that I'd crash. You see I have these clips and shoes and once in them you can't get out unless you twist your heal to the outside. Everyone falls. That's the stories I've heard and I wasn't about to be that guy. I coasted to a stop, twisted my heal to the right and it popped right out - like a pro! After talking with Sharon it was clear that our schedules weren't going to line up and I'd be on my own. Some of the group went to spin and the rest of us to the pool (oh goody). Hey now, I am getting better. Still use the fins but the lifeguards occasionally watch someone else. Progress!!
I take many rest breaks in the pool and today was no different. Sharon and Robin were in the lane next to me and for 60+ minutes they swam back and forth without stopping - amazing. Paula was a lane over and had a similar performance. Mauricio and I would glance at each other and smile as we rested, though it was unspoken, we felt lucky to have each other in a swimming world where the woman were smokin it. After a lifetime in the pool I changed and headed out on my bike.
I clipped in and was off. It was great! The shoes and clips take getting used to. You pull your foot up and the pedal comes with - how cool is that! I think there is some benefit there that I need to capture. I'm sure there is a way to increase ones power or reduce fatigue, or both. The shifters were another thing altogether. My old bike had levers down below the handle bars. This bike has them integrated into the brakes so you simply click them one way to move up the other to move down. Sounds easy but it must have been opposite day cause I struggled. The Biking Gods must have been ready to send down training wheels.
I stopped multiple times due to traffic and each time I clipped out like a champ. I biked a loop three times and loved it. I was flying, smiling, and had my quads not begun to burn, would have stayed on the road longer. But enough is enough and I didn't to push it on day one. I was also a little worried about the after effects of the bicycle seat if you know what I mean. I'm not saying I have a tender tush but a guys gotta be careful. So I turned for home and rounded the corner to my house. On the corner was a neighbor walking her dog. We toss a couple "hi's " as I slow into my driveway. She calls out "Hey, I started running again and plan on doing the Seattle Rock n Roll". I reply "Great!" and at the same time stop the bike and take my foot off the pedal. Oh yeah, I'm clipped in. My foot won't come off the pedal. As I begin to fall and slam first against my garage door en route to the aggregate driveway, I hear a long slow Ssssshiiiiiiit rolling off my lips. I was a sight, crumbled on the ground, head and shoulder rolled up against the garage door, bike on top of me. I am that guy.
I love my bike and I look forward to long rides, some fast, some slow. I will master this two wheeled beast and find some level of competition to test myself. Help will be there and I will take all I can get. In the meantime I will continue to work on my running comeback and swimming. Come ride with me - you know you want too!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Lord Hill
My friend Steve has been running Lord Hill for some time now. Frankly when he talked about the place it really didn't sound all that great. Anything with "hill" in it should cause one to slightly tilt the head, raise an eyebrow, and very slowly nod your head up and down as if in agreement while your inside voice is saying "there's no way in hell I would ever do that." That was me. That was then. Today I succumbed to peer pressure. Today I ran Lord Hill.
Those who know me are aware that I like things neat and tidy...organized...structured....predictable...and maybe I like to feel a bit in control (even if I'm not). When out of this element I've been called snarky. Snarky has two definitions and I know this because I just looked it up. Here's the first - irritable, short tempered. The second - a witty mannerism. There might be more to the second one that I am accidentally leaving out. Omission. Oops. I will tag myself with the second definition after a short trip to my happy place. Irritable simply does not describe me. Stop it. I'm not listening. La la la la la la la la la la.....
We arrived at Lord Hill and I admit it looks pretty good from what I can see. Oh by the way, Dan joined us today - how cool was that. Though he would never brag about his abilities, he could....all day long! Swimmer, runner, biker - excelling in every one. In case you're wondering, he's on the long bus. Anyway, after some short directions, tips on what to do if you see a cougar or a bear, looking at the drawing of a young man known to flash hikers (with a note to call 911 after belly laughing at what he believes to be something worthwhile to see when we would all wonder how long he'd been in the pool), we headed off into the forest.
This is where we start to split up due to pacing, duration of one's run, whether you walk, jog, run, or some combination of the three. Lately I start with a short 2-3 minute walk. By the time I started running the gang had all but disappeared. The first mile was fairly crappy. Up hill and rocky - oh sweet, how fun! Once I got my thick head around the fact that this was going to be different, it would be hilly, the terrain unknown, I figured maybe I should stop being a little cry baby and suck it up like everyone else. Sometimes I don't know where my complaining comes from. If you do please call me. 1.800.didyouthinkIreallywantedyouropinion. Operators are standing by....
In no time I was running alone. Being unfamiliar with the trail, I did my best to take note of various landmarks - streams, logs, small dead animals laying face up, as well as key mental notes of the right and left hand turns. All the while staying with my strict diet of 3 minutes of walking for every 7 minutes of running. Every now and then I would see teammates running along, otherwise it was quiet. Lord Hill is a very dense forest. You cannot see your way out nor is one really sure what direction you are going - I am directionally impaired it appears. I got lost...
Frickin pooper. I turned at 30 minutes and started my way back. I was confident that I would make all the correct turns and in the beginning I did. Yes, I recall that tree stump. There's the stream. Easy peasy lemon squeezey baby. There's a fork up ahead. Which way did I come from? Ah....I think the left looks correct. Yup, left. Apparently left was wrong. After an ugly hill and some distance I came upon a familiar site - a bench and table. Trouble was it was the same bench and table I had run past much earlier during my initial 30 minutes. Oops, not good. I turned around and ran back, flipped down a different trail and ran for a bit and hit another hill (hills were all over). I nearly had to crawl up this one and I was feeling better because it looked familiar. Cresting the top and running little further I found another familiar site - that same frickin bench and table. My third time past it. I was screwed. Five minutes earlier I had seen Mike running the opposite direction so I turned and ran fast to catch up. Made it down the hill and he was no where in sight.
Crap. I stopped and looked around and realized that I had no idea where I was and no idea which trail to take. I felt some panic swell up inside of me - recall the control and predictability I like - that was flushed down the toilet now. I called out a couple times in hope that a voice would spring out though the woods and I would have a direction to follow. Nothing. So I ran. Up hills, around bend after bend, searching for my exit. Eventually I came across the right trail which had the small rodent laying there feet up - it was a great feeling to know I was back on track. I might have bent down to kiss the little guy if it wasn't for all the flies and bugs crawling on it.
The sign at the corner told me .4 miles to the entrance. I was home free. Before I knew it I was popping out of the forest and saw the short bus gang waiting for me. I was wiped. Hills are great training and the forest is truly beautiful. Good call Steve. Next time I will run with a backpack complete with a compass, snack, waterproof matches, and a flare gun. Or maybe it would be smarter to simply run with a buddy....
Those who know me are aware that I like things neat and tidy...organized...structured....predictable...and maybe I like to feel a bit in control (even if I'm not). When out of this element I've been called snarky. Snarky has two definitions and I know this because I just looked it up. Here's the first - irritable, short tempered. The second - a witty mannerism. There might be more to the second one that I am accidentally leaving out. Omission. Oops. I will tag myself with the second definition after a short trip to my happy place. Irritable simply does not describe me. Stop it. I'm not listening. La la la la la la la la la la.....
We arrived at Lord Hill and I admit it looks pretty good from what I can see. Oh by the way, Dan joined us today - how cool was that. Though he would never brag about his abilities, he could....all day long! Swimmer, runner, biker - excelling in every one. In case you're wondering, he's on the long bus. Anyway, after some short directions, tips on what to do if you see a cougar or a bear, looking at the drawing of a young man known to flash hikers (with a note to call 911 after belly laughing at what he believes to be something worthwhile to see when we would all wonder how long he'd been in the pool), we headed off into the forest.
This is where we start to split up due to pacing, duration of one's run, whether you walk, jog, run, or some combination of the three. Lately I start with a short 2-3 minute walk. By the time I started running the gang had all but disappeared. The first mile was fairly crappy. Up hill and rocky - oh sweet, how fun! Once I got my thick head around the fact that this was going to be different, it would be hilly, the terrain unknown, I figured maybe I should stop being a little cry baby and suck it up like everyone else. Sometimes I don't know where my complaining comes from. If you do please call me. 1.800.didyouthinkIreallywantedyouropinion. Operators are standing by....
In no time I was running alone. Being unfamiliar with the trail, I did my best to take note of various landmarks - streams, logs, small dead animals laying face up, as well as key mental notes of the right and left hand turns. All the while staying with my strict diet of 3 minutes of walking for every 7 minutes of running. Every now and then I would see teammates running along, otherwise it was quiet. Lord Hill is a very dense forest. You cannot see your way out nor is one really sure what direction you are going - I am directionally impaired it appears. I got lost...
Frickin pooper. I turned at 30 minutes and started my way back. I was confident that I would make all the correct turns and in the beginning I did. Yes, I recall that tree stump. There's the stream. Easy peasy lemon squeezey baby. There's a fork up ahead. Which way did I come from? Ah....I think the left looks correct. Yup, left. Apparently left was wrong. After an ugly hill and some distance I came upon a familiar site - a bench and table. Trouble was it was the same bench and table I had run past much earlier during my initial 30 minutes. Oops, not good. I turned around and ran back, flipped down a different trail and ran for a bit and hit another hill (hills were all over). I nearly had to crawl up this one and I was feeling better because it looked familiar. Cresting the top and running little further I found another familiar site - that same frickin bench and table. My third time past it. I was screwed. Five minutes earlier I had seen Mike running the opposite direction so I turned and ran fast to catch up. Made it down the hill and he was no where in sight.
Crap. I stopped and looked around and realized that I had no idea where I was and no idea which trail to take. I felt some panic swell up inside of me - recall the control and predictability I like - that was flushed down the toilet now. I called out a couple times in hope that a voice would spring out though the woods and I would have a direction to follow. Nothing. So I ran. Up hills, around bend after bend, searching for my exit. Eventually I came across the right trail which had the small rodent laying there feet up - it was a great feeling to know I was back on track. I might have bent down to kiss the little guy if it wasn't for all the flies and bugs crawling on it.
The sign at the corner told me .4 miles to the entrance. I was home free. Before I knew it I was popping out of the forest and saw the short bus gang waiting for me. I was wiped. Hills are great training and the forest is truly beautiful. Good call Steve. Next time I will run with a backpack complete with a compass, snack, waterproof matches, and a flare gun. Or maybe it would be smarter to simply run with a buddy....
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Run Free
I ran the trail today, 60 minutes in fact. Before you get all overly impressed, note that I ran what I call 4/6's - 4 minutes of walking followed by 6 minutes of running. Repeating this for an hour works out to be 24 minutes walking, 36 running. Oh baby look at me go! Did I burst your bubble? Are you asking yourself wasn't Michael a runner once? What happen to him? Oh yeah, I think he 'used to' run. Yeah yeah yeah whatever...I'm still here so don't write me off just yet. Just going through a bit of rehab - nothing like the Betty Ford Clinic or anything (though it was a close call with those little yellow pills). In fact I got to ride to the trail with the long bus team - Wendy, Kyle the Giant, and Sharon. I'll be a long bus runner again so save me a seat. I'd like the exact one I had today please.
Freaky thing about having minor injuries is that just prior to moving from a walk to a run you get nervous. Will I be ok? Will my hip, knee, foot, ankle, toe, belly button hurt? The first few steps speak volumes and to a degree dictate your run or lack thereof. As my first 4 minutes concluded my foot landed and the crunch of pea gravel yielded no negative shock waves. The next step hit the dirt followed by another and another. Still nervous but I felt pretty good. My hip (it's really my right butt cheek but 'hip' is so much more family friendly) was a little tight however no pain radiated from that tush. My knee was ok.
I ran alone but knew my friends were out there with me, running the various trails. Eventually paths cross and you toss a head nod, raise a hand to wave, or mutter "looking good" - we say that to each other no matter how sad, tired, ragged, or beat one actually looks. It's a bit more motivating than "Hey Michael you look like crap, sure are breathing hard their buddy, this run sure is beating the hell out of you today"...Support, gotta love it.
15 minutes in to the run I saw Steve coming toward me. I was ready for a quick "looking good" but instead he pointed to a trail head and asked if I'd been on it. I replied that I hadn't and asked if he had. "Nope" was his response followed by a "let's take it". We slide through the gate and the Lewis and Clark expedition was on. I had about a minute left on my walk segment as I watched Steve scamper away. Scamper probably isn't the right word choice. Steve ran. He has been on the injured reserved list for some time and I really haven't ran with him. Seeing him run down the twisting trail was cool. He looked like I always thought he would. Great form, focused, a bit of a smile on his face. Though I had nothing to do with his recovery, I couldn't help smiling seeing him run. He worked hard to get to where he is today - rock on Steve, you looked great!!
The new trail was peaceful, even tranquil. Thinner than most of the trails with a creek popping up here and there. I turned off the music and listened to the water flow and the birds chatting up a storm. How cool it was. And what is this? I'm not hurting! Maybe I should walk less, run more, run faster...no Michael, stay with the plan. It wasn't easy but I did. Finished up the run in about 65 minutes and the gang was already there stretching out. Stretching is critical and there's always chatter about the run. Seems that the running gods were smiling on us today as everyone felt pretty good. I had to skip Starbucks so I could get straight home and ice everything that had potential to rebel. Though I missed that, I had a great conversation with Becky who was kind enough to offer me a non-stop ticket home at no additional charge. Becky has made amazing progress in a very short time, logged a couple 5k's already and will only get faster. Her fantastic attitude drives her success - quite impressive. I also learned that my kids weren't the only ones to complete their homework only to forget to turn it in!!
After a very necessary shower, a nutrition clinic, trips to Run26 and Gregg's Cycle, a birthday drop off, and a stop at Starbucks, I was back home. Now I sit here writing this blog with ice wrapped around my knee just to be safe. It has been a great day - thank you. Thank you for the smiles, the laughs, the sunshine. I'm open to many many more days like today.
Freaky thing about having minor injuries is that just prior to moving from a walk to a run you get nervous. Will I be ok? Will my hip, knee, foot, ankle, toe, belly button hurt? The first few steps speak volumes and to a degree dictate your run or lack thereof. As my first 4 minutes concluded my foot landed and the crunch of pea gravel yielded no negative shock waves. The next step hit the dirt followed by another and another. Still nervous but I felt pretty good. My hip (it's really my right butt cheek but 'hip' is so much more family friendly) was a little tight however no pain radiated from that tush. My knee was ok.
I ran alone but knew my friends were out there with me, running the various trails. Eventually paths cross and you toss a head nod, raise a hand to wave, or mutter "looking good" - we say that to each other no matter how sad, tired, ragged, or beat one actually looks. It's a bit more motivating than "Hey Michael you look like crap, sure are breathing hard their buddy, this run sure is beating the hell out of you today"...Support, gotta love it.
15 minutes in to the run I saw Steve coming toward me. I was ready for a quick "looking good" but instead he pointed to a trail head and asked if I'd been on it. I replied that I hadn't and asked if he had. "Nope" was his response followed by a "let's take it". We slide through the gate and the Lewis and Clark expedition was on. I had about a minute left on my walk segment as I watched Steve scamper away. Scamper probably isn't the right word choice. Steve ran. He has been on the injured reserved list for some time and I really haven't ran with him. Seeing him run down the twisting trail was cool. He looked like I always thought he would. Great form, focused, a bit of a smile on his face. Though I had nothing to do with his recovery, I couldn't help smiling seeing him run. He worked hard to get to where he is today - rock on Steve, you looked great!!
The new trail was peaceful, even tranquil. Thinner than most of the trails with a creek popping up here and there. I turned off the music and listened to the water flow and the birds chatting up a storm. How cool it was. And what is this? I'm not hurting! Maybe I should walk less, run more, run faster...no Michael, stay with the plan. It wasn't easy but I did. Finished up the run in about 65 minutes and the gang was already there stretching out. Stretching is critical and there's always chatter about the run. Seems that the running gods were smiling on us today as everyone felt pretty good. I had to skip Starbucks so I could get straight home and ice everything that had potential to rebel. Though I missed that, I had a great conversation with Becky who was kind enough to offer me a non-stop ticket home at no additional charge. Becky has made amazing progress in a very short time, logged a couple 5k's already and will only get faster. Her fantastic attitude drives her success - quite impressive. I also learned that my kids weren't the only ones to complete their homework only to forget to turn it in!!
After a very necessary shower, a nutrition clinic, trips to Run26 and Gregg's Cycle, a birthday drop off, and a stop at Starbucks, I was back home. Now I sit here writing this blog with ice wrapped around my knee just to be safe. It has been a great day - thank you. Thank you for the smiles, the laughs, the sunshine. I'm open to many many more days like today.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Endurance
I knew Saturday would be a long day. It was one of those days you look forward to but slightly dread at the same time. From a workout perspective I would do nothing - yes, my recovery is slow and therefore Running would continue it's merry little vacation. Fear not, once 'vacation' is over, Running will get it's butt kicked once more. Yup, lil' booty kickin comin on down (word choice clearly influenced by Heavy B). Saturday's line up went something like this - Invest in Youth garage sale 6:30 - 2:00, Power Bar clinic at 4:00 followed by a bike clinic at Gregg's Cycle in Lynnwood.
Garage Sales - they can be a love/hate relationship. The set up and take down sucks while the in-between can be tolerated. There is so much prep work involved - yikes! Robin volunteered her house and the Multisport and Tri team stepped up to donate items, price, and man the sale. It was quite impressive to see so many people help out. Sharon's daughters No one claims to ever go there yet the parking lot is always full. Interesting....I had a blast. Oddly I seem to enjoy "selling" at garage sales. You see someone eyeing an item and you slide right in for the kill. It doesn't always work but you can have fun regardless. Or is it irregardless? At any rate, before I knew it the clock showed 1:30 and it was time to blast. I knew the remaining teammates would be doing the take down and pack up - yuck. I would say better them than me but they'll likely read this blog so I'll keep that to myself :)
Power Bar clinic. Sharon set us up with the regional Power Bar rep Laura and the clinic was at my house - easy for me! Laura is quite the athlete and has competed in the Ironman in Kona (impressive!) and every time I've met her her is up and energized. She's a twenty something kid that loves what she does and it shows. She whipped up some protein shakes, gave us a quiz (which I sucked at), and had boxes of free samples for us. The information was timely and we appreciated her coming out. I don't know if she expected to have leftover samples but once the dust settled and we stepped away from the table, there was nothing left but torn cardboard packages and a lone water bottle rolling toward safety. I love free!!! As she left she slid me a container of Ironman Perform - oh yeah baby, I will be kickin da booty...
Gregg's Cycle bike clinic. Sweet mother....impressive. This was after hours so it was only us and Rob (manager) and Andrew (elite biker). First off, they had a spread of food for us - laid out in a well organized color coded cup and napkin manner. Did they know I was coming? Then there was a row of the most incredible bikes I have ever seen. Trek, Cervelo, Specialized....wow, they were cool. Rob talked about the differences between bikes and during his presentation I decided that a road bike would be my choice. A friend has a deal on a bike for me but once I was fitted it was clear that the 56 would be too big for me as I am a 51-52. A bike is a big deal to me because I have decided to compete in a duathlon (run/bike/run). Similar to a triathlon except you run twice and there is no water. No water. Wait! I have not given up on a Tri and I swim twice a week to try and 'get it'. Rob found a new 2010 model with a deep discount he'll get to the store and Wednesday night I will ride a few bikes and see what happens. I will buy one. Then bike clipless pedals....then bike shoes....then a helmet....then bike shorts to protect my, er...my valuables. Yes, feel free to send your donations today. It appears that I will be eating tuna from a can for a while! However, I believe that if I can be competitive on the bike for my age division, I can do pretty well in the duathlon as I'm not too bad in the running category. I really appreciated Gregg's and specifically Rob for opening his store to us and for all he has done to help us.
Of course a monster thank you goes out to Sharon for setting these clinics up for us. Not just these two but all the ones we're had and those coming down the road. I could mention the vast list of partners she has set up for us but the list is way too long. She does this on her own time without the thought or purpose of personal gain. She excels at creating relationships that are symbiotic in nature and is quite the business woman. I'm glad she's the one driving the program and appreciate all those who help her as well as those who are participating in the programs - together the journey will be both fun and amazing. This year will challenge my fitness and mental strength. I know there will be setbacks as that is part of the game we play. I will give it my best, support my friends, and for you - I'm all in.
Garage Sales - they can be a love/hate relationship. The set up and take down sucks while the in-between can be tolerated. There is so much prep work involved - yikes! Robin volunteered her house and the Multisport and Tri team stepped up to donate items, price, and man the sale. It was quite impressive to see so many people help out. Sharon's daughters No one claims to ever go there yet the parking lot is always full. Interesting....I had a blast. Oddly I seem to enjoy "selling" at garage sales. You see someone eyeing an item and you slide right in for the kill. It doesn't always work but you can have fun regardless. Or is it irregardless? At any rate, before I knew it the clock showed 1:30 and it was time to blast. I knew the remaining teammates would be doing the take down and pack up - yuck. I would say better them than me but they'll likely read this blog so I'll keep that to myself :)
Power Bar clinic. Sharon set us up with the regional Power Bar rep Laura and the clinic was at my house - easy for me! Laura is quite the athlete and has competed in the Ironman in Kona (impressive!) and every time I've met her her is up and energized. She's a twenty something kid that loves what she does and it shows. She whipped up some protein shakes, gave us a quiz (which I sucked at), and had boxes of free samples for us. The information was timely and we appreciated her coming out. I don't know if she expected to have leftover samples but once the dust settled and we stepped away from the table, there was nothing left but torn cardboard packages and a lone water bottle rolling toward safety. I love free!!! As she left she slid me a container of Ironman Perform - oh yeah baby, I will be kickin da booty...
Gregg's Cycle bike clinic. Sweet mother....impressive. This was after hours so it was only us and Rob (manager) and Andrew (elite biker). First off, they had a spread of food for us - laid out in a well organized color coded cup and napkin manner. Did they know I was coming? Then there was a row of the most incredible bikes I have ever seen. Trek, Cervelo, Specialized....wow, they were cool. Rob talked about the differences between bikes and during his presentation I decided that a road bike would be my choice. A friend has a deal on a bike for me but once I was fitted it was clear that the 56 would be too big for me as I am a 51-52. A bike is a big deal to me because I have decided to compete in a duathlon (run/bike/run). Similar to a triathlon except you run twice and there is no water. No water. Wait! I have not given up on a Tri and I swim twice a week to try and 'get it'. Rob found a new 2010 model with a deep discount he'll get to the store and Wednesday night I will ride a few bikes and see what happens. I will buy one. Then bike clipless pedals....then bike shoes....then a helmet....then bike shorts to protect my, er...my valuables. Yes, feel free to send your donations today. It appears that I will be eating tuna from a can for a while! However, I believe that if I can be competitive on the bike for my age division, I can do pretty well in the duathlon as I'm not too bad in the running category. I really appreciated Gregg's and specifically Rob for opening his store to us and for all he has done to help us.
Of course a monster thank you goes out to Sharon for setting these clinics up for us. Not just these two but all the ones we're had and those coming down the road. I could mention the vast list of partners she has set up for us but the list is way too long. She does this on her own time without the thought or purpose of personal gain. She excels at creating relationships that are symbiotic in nature and is quite the business woman. I'm glad she's the one driving the program and appreciate all those who help her as well as those who are participating in the programs - together the journey will be both fun and amazing. This year will challenge my fitness and mental strength. I know there will be setbacks as that is part of the game we play. I will give it my best, support my friends, and for you - I'm all in.
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