Spring?

It is a whopping 60 degrees outside and I'm thinkin' I just might stop off for a little trail run on my way up to downtown this afternoon. I'm finding the trail very alluring this spring and enjoyed the warm temps and sloppy conditions on Sunday. My shoes are caked in mud. I'm wondering if I should have hosed them off or something instead of just leaving the mud to dry?

I also got in a nice ride and run-off on Saturday. Headed out to Northern Portage/Southern Geauga Counties for some rolling hills, bogs, and farm houses...



Developed some saddle sores on my left leg (pics of the culprit ONLY, you'll just have to take my word about the sores...




And the Indians won yesterday. Yep, I'm putting on some shorts and going for a run. Spring is here.......

Catchin' My Breath

I haven't had much time for blogging lately. Between work, school, training, and some volunteer work I've had time for little else. I usually try and squeeze blogging in somehow, and before I seemed to run out of time for it I was planning on making some changes around here. Maybe spiff things up a bit? My 100th post is near....which means that I've probably spent a little too much time inputing this nonsense onto the computer screen. Well, it's not all nonsense....this blog has been good to keep me motivated for training. And, reading other folks blogs has provided an abundance of entertainment and also provided a TON of knowledge as I try and move forward through the world of endurance sports. Hell, I kinda think of life like the longest endurance event there is....all these races are just little pieces that contribute to the long event, improving my health along the way (while I have a little fun!).

So, don't be surprised if you come back someday soon and see something different. It might be suttle...and it might not. Hard to say.

I will say that when I walked into the rec center and saw that the lap lanes had been flipped to 50M lengths I was so excited that I immediately threw on my cap and goggles while running to the locker room. I changed from my khaki's and sweater to my speedo jammers in the locker room like I was in T1. I'm just about ready to donn my wetsuit and take a dip in The Great Lake.

Sensorial Observation And The Idiosyncracies of Facial Hair

My beard is gone. Well, not exactly gone....it has moved. Entered the waste stream, so, it is gone from my face....

Which was cold yesterday (my face, that is). It felt like I had a wet beard all day. Even indoors. Weird. Simply putting my hand on my chin proved there was no wet hair there. Shaving my beard makes my chin feel really, really small...and less round.

I suppose I am on "spring" break after all. And if my "spring" break is going to begin with the biggest snowstorm that Northeast Ohio has seen in years I might as well think spring and go with the naked chin for a spell. Last year I think my naked chin lasted less than a week, before the short beard was maintained through the summer. This is truly one of the joys of being a man......contemplating what to do with your beard.

Next winter maybe I'll let it grow a little longer......put a windmill in it.
Like this guy......



Cool, eh??

Shamrock 15K

My original plans for today were to participate in the tri club's indoor triathlon up on the East side. Old man winter had other plans, and they involved a couple feet of snow. The indoor tri got canceled, but the Shamrock 15K didn't. So, I decided that although I had abandoned long runs for a spell until I get my achy knee all fixed up, and hadn't run more than 6 miles for about 6 weeks, that a 15K wouldn't hurt. And it didn't hurt....too much.

The race started at noon, so I really had no routine to go through to get ready. The biggest decision was how to dress, and I opted to take a backpack full of different things so that I could decide just before the race started. Breakfast this morning consisted of coffee, a banana, and a bowl of Irish oats. Usually oatmeal is out of the question on race day, but with the race starting at noon I went ahead and had the Irish (aka steel cut) oats. I think that my ole GI system likes this much better than the typical "old-fashioned" or quick oats. Why no oatmeal for me on race day you ask? For fear I'd be visiting my rat friend, but I wanted to try the Irish oats....... after all, it was the Shamrock 15K.

So, after the Irish oats, a shower, and some reading it was time to head to the race. I stepped outside into the snow covered landscape, feeling a bit like I was entering into some sort of fantasy land that consisted of exploded marshmallow goo (I know you all remember ghostbusters).


Got to the race in plenty of time, fidgeted with my clothes over and over again trying to figure out what to wear. Hat or windblock headband? Windbreak vest or no windbreak vest? Road shoes or Trail shoes? I think you get the idea. On went the headband, vest, and road shoes.....and my warm-up run convinced me I was dressed appropriately. So, time to head to the starting line and I spent so much time changing head wear and shoes that I had to hurry to get in one more bathroom trip (which is time consuming with all of these winter clothes). I lined up towards the front left of the pack, and within seconds off went the gun.

This was the first time I raced with headphones, and I was so preoccupied with finding the right music that I forgot to start my watch!!! I realized this before too long, and settled into what I hoped would be the right pace. This was my first 15K, and only my third race above the 10K distance, so the plan was to hold back a bit until at least the halfway point and then go with what I'm feeling. This strategy was tough to follow because the first 3 miles were basically a steep, descent into the valley . During the descending I could feel my left quad tinging a bit. Great....I hope I can climb out!! I saw one or 2 folks drop out of the race before we hit the valley floor. Cold ass temps.+ harsh descent out of the gate = seizing muscles. What makes someone drop out of a 9.3 mile race in 2 miles?? This......

*total amount of climbing for the course is ~550 ft.

After we hit the valley floor we had a mere mile, or so, of relatively flat terrain, then up we went, ascending the eastern flank of the valley.....basically it was 5 miles of climbing and about 3 more folks in front of me dropped out, presumably from cramping. One poor fellow started cramping after he made it a good portion of the way up. He stood on the side of the road holding his hamstring while I passed him. A few minutes later, he passed me at a pretty impressive pace...then he started cramping and I passed him....then he passed me again.......then cramping again and I passed him...after the third leapfrog, I didn't see him again.

I mentioned that this was my first race with headphones, and Phil Lesh and crew was my music selection. It was perfect. At mile 8, Phil started singin' about goin' where the climate suits my coat, the chilly winds don't blow, and the water taste's like wine to pull me across the finish line in 1:04:43. I am more than happy with that time. I even got a runner guy bobblehead to take home for finishing 3rd in my AG ( the women got runner girl bobbleheads!).

I'm going to start posting my splits, so I can look back at them easily if I want to reference them. And.....I know you all have a deep interest in my pacing strategy ;-)

Miles 1 & 2: 13:17
Mile 3: 6:51
Mile 4: 6:58
Mile 5: 7:42 (things began looking "up" here)
Mile 6,7, & 8: 21:11
Mile 9: 6:46
Final .3: 2:03

This is a great race and was very scenic today with all of the snow. Good to see the trifolk crew and this poor girl (who was all set for her first tri today, only to have it cancelled) out there today!! I'm off to waddle the dog around the block with these achy legs....

Signs of Spring (and how to become a yogi)

Two things happen at the end of winter. First, the pool nearby work/home gets WAY too warm. The water temp. is lowered during swim season for the high school swim team. When they are done the temp. goes up. Yesterday, it was on its way up. My chest felt constricted, I had trouble breathing, and I was sinking like a rock. My membership is up there in a couple of weeks and I will say goodbye to that pool for the spring and summer.

The second sign that spring is near is that the pool at CSU where I spend part of each Tuesday and Thursday changes the lane lines around and the 25 yd. lengths are replaced by 50 meter lengths. This more than makes up for my angst due to the rising water temp. at the other pool. And, the water @ CSU is always nice and cold. Last week I was told by a lifeguard he expected the lengths to be switched "sometime in the next couple of weeks." So, swimming is @ CSU for now, until it is time to get in the lake!!!

Oh, I've got to add my third sign that spring is upon us....at least here in NE Ohio. We keep getting bad winter storms. You know, it is March after all. The worst storm of last winter was in March. The worst storm of this winter was in the last few days of February, but we were just covered in a foot of ice and another snow/ice storm is on tap for this weekend. Are bad winter storms in March a sign of climate change? How about no snow in December in NE Ohio? That has happened 2 years in a row also. Ok, so we all know that climate change is happening. So, who knows why?

Getting back to my tri life.....

Maybe you remember my knee pain I was having a while back. Well, it's not exactly knee pain, more like stiffness, or a "my knee just ain't right" sensation in the back of my left knee. I didn't complain about it much because I was complaining about being sick for 3 weeks. Then, as soon as I got back to training the knee pain returned. I became a bit concerned, to say the least.

I did not get it looked at for a couple of reasons. 1) is that it was not getting any worse. just staying about the same 2) there was very, very little swelling 3) it would get better during a run.

I noticed it began to feel worse throughout my bike sessions. Especially if I was turning a big gear. So, I stayed off the bike for about a week. Also, I hit a couple of yoga sessions. I found a great instructor @ my second session and my knee pain has almost disappeared since that session. I have found that if I stretch my hip flexor, that it relieves discomfort in my knee even though there I have no hip pain, just knee pain. I don't care why my hip problem makes my knee hurt...I'm just going to keep stretching and stay away from one-legged drills on the trainer. Man, I will be so relieved when that knee (hip?) returns to normal. I was working really hard on my pedal stroke over the winter.....maybe I overdid it a bit working on the upstroke, eh? Throw in the fact that my saddle position needed a little tweaking (especially with the new, more efficient peddle stroke), add in a 45 mile hilly ride in the middle of winter....on a 35 degree day, and.....voila, there you have it! Overuse!!!!

Since balance is everything there must be an upside of my nagging overuse injury, no? Yes, of course.....weekly yoga and learning from a good instructor.

Enter a new chapter in my pursuit of endurance sports, becoming a yogi..........

What Would You Have Done?

Yesterday, I pulled up to the parkway for my run in 40 degree heat!!! I was a bit overdressed, but heck I was more than ready to run in the nice weather. Before heading over to the jogging path I went over to the latrine to....well, pee. The latrine is about what you would expect in a park, being one step up from the port-o-pot. It is basically a little shelter with a toilet covering a big whole in the ground. I opened the door and stood over the toilet and something sort of startled me.....

A furry little rat scampered downwards from the top of the "latrine pile" into the dark, dank, depths of the hole that I was about to fill with a little liquid. I couldn't piss on the little rats head, so I started my run with a little bladder discomfort as I knew there was a latrine on the path after one mile. Rats are known to live in sewers, but latrines???

Now, I don't mean to frighten anyone who has to use a latrine from time to time. Don't you think that if rats were likely to attack asses and third legs while they hover over the top of the latrine we would have heard about an attack by now?? So, don't be scared, I just thought you might find it interesting that you don't really know what all is down in that stinky hole...and what you might be pissing (or worse) on.

On a psuedo-related note, I guess it is the year of the rat after all.

Tagged

Since I was tagged by TriGuyJT to name 7 random things about me a while back, this is a little bit overdue.....

1) If I have a nasty wound, I may very well end up with a nasty scar. I often form what are called hypertrophic scars (follow the link and see the middle pic), although when I was young the Dr.'s referred to them as keloids. Believe me, a kid who is the tallest and skinniest in the school can be pretty self-conscience of his nasty scars, although I've become pretty comfortable with them. I have a couple on my chest, one on my shoulder and two on my left knee. I had a little one behind my ear from a piercing, but it has pretty much disappeared. Both of the ones on my chest seemed to come out of nowhere, with no injury...one of them forming right "above" my heart. Hmmmmmm? If you see a tall skinny man with a scar on his right shoulder @ your next triathlon, say "hi."

2) I'm not sure if there is any food that I don't like (excluding frankenfoods and fast food). Brussel sprouts can taste kinda nasty, if you don't prepare them properly though. Eh, lately I haven't been very into raw cauliflower either.

3) Quite possibly the most memorable thing that has happened to me was when, on the 2nd or 3rd night of a camping trip I saw the Northern Lights for the first time.....on my birthday....on an empty beach.....along the shore of Lake Superior. Mother nature really knows how to give a nice gift!

4) I've been growing a beard every winter for, oh.......8 or 9 years. The last couple of years I have kept it relatively short (probably less than 1 inch).

5) I have been to 32 States in the Union, all of them by car(and occasionally van, or bus) except for Utah. My trip to Utah was by plane. My dog has visited 21 states in his 7 years and is a California native. I picked him up at the pound on the border of Arizona and California....after spending the night sleeping on the banks of the Colorado River. I've probably slept on the ground in about 20 states (I'll have to figure that one out). Yosemite has my vote as the most breathtaking place I've visited, probably because I was there in January and the whole environment was very intimidating. There I had my only experiences with winter alpine storms, which show mother nature's "other" side.

6) I have been to 2 countries, the United States and Canada. Near San Diego I walked along a hiking trail that was only a few miles from Mexico (according to the signs on the trail), but never crossed the border....walking or driving. I think a trip to Europe is in order!!

7) After I returned to school I haven't been able to travel...except to Chicago for a weekend, but I'm talking about a real trip. I have to say, though, that I don't really miss it much because those long summer bike rides suit me just as well.

Since every blogger I know has been tagged by now I'm not tagging anyone...but here are seven links to folks that just posted their 7 "random" facts...

TriFolk, Iron G, Daisy, E-speed (who put her own little spin on this one), Tracie, Trying To Tri, and TriSaraTops.

Ginger Tea for Breakfast

I was tagged by TriguyJT (who has a nice bio in Ohio Sports and Fitness this month), and I will respond to that shortly, but this morning I've got to ask you what it is that you think caused me to miss half a nights sleep last night.

I had my tri swimming clinic again on Sunday. We had a really nice workout, and afterwards I felt great. I didn't get the post long workout crash that is typical after pushing my limits. I was SO happy to finally be back after my long bout with the illness in January. After the workout, I headed over to The Feve to eat, since my typical spot, The Black River Cafe had a line to the door. The brunch at the Feve was awesome!! A little more expensive than the Black River, but still affordable. I started off with a cup of wild mushroom soup. Then mama bear (my server, yes at the bottom of my receipt it said thank you....mama bear.) brought me a giant a sweet potato burrito with sides of black beans and rice with diced tomatoes and herbs, and a tangy coleslaw. Everything was delicious.

As I sat at the bar waiting for this dish and drinking my coffee, my neighbor commented about her friend "giving me the flu" by sitting next to me. I overheard this...I mean don't you overhear almost everything your neighbors say when you dine alone. I may have been reading, but I smiled when I was brought into the trio's conversation. I proceeded to tell them that I already had the flu and it attacked my upper respiratory system for three weeks. Their response was that this is "the other strain" of flu with a quirky smile. I get it.

So, moving onto today, I finish my afternoon/early evening workout and stop at the nearby coffee shop to refuel. The food at this joint isn't too great when you are so hungry you could eat enough for two (they do have decent cookies). I passed up on my typical choices....lentils and rice, granola with soymilk and opted for the med-ah-terranean turkey wrap, going against my better judgement of ordering meat from a questionable source (as in factory farmed....shame). When I ordered it, the employee taking my order AND the employee making a drink right next to him both chuckled. I found this odd, and asked them if the med-ah-terranean turkey thing was a poor choice for some reason. Hell, I'm a regular and I thought they would tell me the truth. The cashier assured me they were not laughing about my food choice, but some other peculiar occurrence that only two people who are cooped up together for 8 hours day after day could laugh about. I took their word for it, and I got the med-ah-terranean thing.

So, here I sit typing away in the pre-dawn hours, when I'd really like to be working out. But instead, I am having ginger tea because I was lying awake in the fetal position this morning from 3:00 until 5:00 while my stomach seemed to by experiencing what was comparable to an earthquake. This was accompanied by a mild fever, and I thought that if things got worse I might be talking to the porcelian gods. Are you kidding me?? Not again!!!! Prior to going to bed "it" didn't, uh, come out the wrong end, but it sure came out the right end with a vengeance. I went to bed and didn't think too much of it, other than questioning if I worked out too hard today or IF I ATE SOMETHING BAD.

So, as I finish my tea and debate wether I should try and get some more rest or get the day started I am wondering.....was it my neighbor with the flu or the food at the coffee shop? I'm leaning toward the coffee shop food because my symptoms are WAY better than they were in the middle of the night. And, the coffee shop employs mostly militant, fixed gear riding vegans....who just might think it was funny that some meat eating yuppie looking dude ate the turkey that was "accidentally" left out over night. I mean, these are the folks that like to threaten cars with their U-locks and often refer to themselves as being a part of the "fixed gear army." And giving someone tainted meat/dairy is kind like food warfare, no?

Lucky Birds

During my run yesterday, I finally returned to that blissful space often referred to as runners high. I began to think about the physiological events that were happening. I thought about my quickened heart rate and how it accompanies the endorphins. Shortly thereafter, I thought about the canary, whose resting HR sits somewhere around 1000 bpm. Whoa!! And, birds get so much exercise flapping those wings so many times each day, except for the ostrich. Well, the ostrich is so big that its resting heart rate is much slower than 1000 bpm. But, that is another story. This story is about canaries.

With all of that exercise and a ticker that's moving at breakneck speeds, I bet they live their lives in a constant state of runners high, or shall we call it birds high. Not only do they get to fly around and sing all day, but the endorphins have to be quite active under those feathers. The endorphin generated euphoria would be a logical explanation for all of the singing, I suppose. Are there any zoologists out there who can confirm that birds really are living this blissful existence? I guess if you come into this life as a canary you have a HUGE chance you will spend your entire life in jail (a.k.a. be a pet and live in a cage), which is not so desirable.

Or, you could be one of those lucky wild canaries. The one with the racing heart that gets a huge amount of exercise and sings all day. That life just might be something like the meditative space that I hope to find somewhere between mile 3 and mile 15 of a run.....

Man vs. Virus

My friends, I'm pretty certain that what I have been fighting over the last 3 weeks has been some sort of viral infection. Folks all over NE Ohio have been suffering from attacks by these little cell invaders. If you're interested in how a virus executes its attack, you can read this or ask her, as my knowledge of the life of a virus is minimal. But, I think I learned something about the pesky virus over the last 3 weeks.....

I like to think of a virus as smart. They seem to know what's going on with your body so well. For example, they'll move the focus of their attack around from your head, to your sinus cavity, to your throat, to your chest, etc. searching for a weakness. My recent virus did this. The virus knows when you are vulnerable. It will attack you when you are sleeping or after a hard (or even not-so-hard) workout. For example, I was feeling much better last Monday and then after a short run that evening my muscles ached like I'd just run 15 hilly miles on the pavement.....and then the next morning my throat was under attack (a.k.a. a little sore).

So, after nearly 3 weeks of resting and fighting this virus with tea and cayenne pepper I found it's weakness. Beer and whiskey. So, if you have this nasty upper respiratory infection that is going around, I would recommend drinking an ample amount of strong beer from your local brewery and include a few ounces of your favorite whiskey. When I worked at a liquor store many years ago, our regulars would refer to this plan of attack as "scaring it out of you," and they practiced it regularly when they were sick, modifying my plan by eliminating the beer and attempting to consume a fifth of whiskey (and likely succeeding). Note that said regulars at said retailer were sick often. At any rate, here is an example of what this plan of attack might entail....

Go to a party. Enjoy talking with folks at the party, especially if they are members of your local tri club or have other interests similar to yours. At the party attempt to drink a 6 pack of beer over a few hours whilst talking to the good people in attendance. If you don't drink the entire 6-pack that is ok, but try and drink at least enough of them to induce what you might call a good beer buzz. Drink whiskey when a toast is proposed. Leave the party and sit in the car for an hour on the ride home (which may entail a snowstorm, if mother nature says so). Upon realizing that the local beer and whiskey taste good, and considering the effect whiskey has on your desire to continue consuming more beer and whiskey, go ahead and stop at the bar around the corner from home just before hitting the hay for the night. Have one more big mug of beer concocted at your local brewery and a little more whiskey. Go home. Sleep on the sofa in your clothes until 7:30 a.m., then put on more comfortable clothes and sleep as long as you can. Wake up to a headache that can be attributed to your hangover and realize that your throat and sinuses feel better than they have in many weeks and that you didn't wake up with a sore throat for the first time in about a week. Then, you can praise beer and whiskey for it's ability to cure your viral infection. Tell all your friends about your discovery and resume endurance training near previous levels the next week.

* Disclaimer: The author believes that consuming an amount of beer and whiskey that results in sleeping in your clothes can induce sickness under certain circumstances, and is only recommended when a viral infection is near defeat (think of it like giving speed to a hyperactive kid, as in the case of ritalin). Alcohol consumption to the point of memory loss, urinating oneself, vomiting, waking up in bed with a stranger, or provoking a fistfight is not recommended.

I must be feeling better...

Because it is Friday night, and I just had a date.

We watched basketball.

I ate a little.

And I drank alot.

And, eventually....

things were going well enough that I suppose you could say it got hot and I began to sweat,

Heavily.

No!! Of course it wasn't a first date!!

More like an old fling. Well, not that old, it's only been 3 weeks.

But after tonight, I'm not sure how I went 3 weeks without it....






We watched the Cavaliers hit big shots and play tough defense down the stretch to beat Atlanta, even with the plethora of injuries that are plaguing them right now. Austin Carr's exhilarant voice coincided with the hum of the trainer as Damon Jones made big shots and the Cavaliers defense made big stops. Life is getting back to normal. The Cavs win, and I put on some lycra for the first time in 3 weeks.

The Power of Meditation

Yesterday, the world lost one of it's biggest advocates of world peace and freedom from suffering. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi died at the age of 91 (or so). He spread his ideas on the power of transcendental meditation to the Western World, with the help of The Beatles. When he caught the Beatles using drugs on a visit to see him, they had a falling out...but that is another story.

Maharishi Mahesh believed in the power of collective meditation, holding the belief that if enough people meditated regularly in support of world peace, it would be achieved. Now, maybe you think the yogi is cool.....or maybe you think he is a crackpot, but either way the world will miss a man who spread the message of a better way of life than most of us experience. Whether or not you believe in his methods, how can you not believe in his message?

In light of my longstanding illness and current sore throat, I've begun to wonder that if you all would meditate on my rapid recovery tonight before you go to bed, or tomorrow morning upon waking that I could return to my normal training pattern by tomorrow evening. Then, I thought the yogi would probably think I was being selfish and look down upon this, so I came up with another (better) idea. Think about your relationship with your maker; your god or goddess, and how it effects your day to day life. Think about what you give back to this earth and all of its inhabitants....and what you are creating or leaving here for the next generation. Collectively, we all make up the reality that is the world we live in; whether we meditate or not. Just think about it...

Don't Ease Me In

After a 2 week hiatus I got in a little run today; about 3 3/4 miles nice and slow. I pretty much felt like crap until a half hour into the run, and as soon as the endorphins flooded my body, it was time to stop. I'm still having some sinus issues hanging around, but as long as these short, easy workouts don't impede my healing sinuses you can officially consider my back on the wagon.....Or, maybe back in the saddle is more appropriate. The plan....ease back into 9-10 workouts/week.

I was welcomed back to my running life by a wonderful Phil Lesh and Friends gem. If you noticed the song reference in the title of this post, you might want to follow the link and download this show. It is a beauty.

As soon as I feel up to it I'll be back on the trainer. I'm going to try and lower my saddle a cm or so....I'm thinking that the cause of my knee discomfort was my saddle height. My thoughts on that matter go something like this....
I've been working on peddle mechanics quite a bit this winter. One improvement I've made is to keep a neutral foot through the bottom of the pedal stroke. In other words, my toes used to point slightly downward at the bottom of my stroke....now, they do not. Once I began to put in more time in the saddle, and got in a couple of road rides (one of with was about 45 hilly miles), the back of my knee was stressed by my new, smoother, more powerful peddle stoke not working in conjunction with my saddle height. So, the saddle will go down a hair, and my knee will thank me.

...and one more thing. What a freakin' wonderful football game last night!!

Day 12.......no training.

I'm still recovering from my illness. Each day I'm feeling a little better, but I'm not going back to my training routine until every symptom is 100% gone. I am really looking forward to tying the knot on top of my asics and setting out on a run to an unknown destination. I've become accustomed to setting aside an hour or two a day to be free of all the stresses of life; that wonderful time where I can fall into the rhythm of my breath and pit-pat of my sneakers and just let my mind wander. If you are a runner, I need not say more...

Now, as I wait to be sure I am completely recovered from the attack of this bug I have to find a different way to attack the stresses of life. I have not thought about a specific way of dealing with stress without training, it just sort of happened. And I've found myself keeping busy well into the evening with my studies.....and I feel rejuvenated in my academic pursuits. You know, I'm a treehugger (a.k.a environmentalist), and, like triathlon, this lifestyle has it's difficulties. Believe it or not folks, being a treehugger isn't all Bush-bashing and tofu-eating!

I have to say that although losing 2 weeks of training sucks, I am glad that I have been able to rekindle the fire that I have for environmental and social justice issues. So, if you live in Ohio and you are a treehugger too, you can go here to show support for renewable energy in Ohio, which is virtually as fulfilling as hugging (or even kissing) a tree. If you are unsure about renewable energy being a good choice for us, or would like to read a bit about the benefits of "green" energy go here or here.

You might recall the urban farm project I worked on last semester? I'll be giving a presentation to some of the active urban farmers in town in order to 1) stimulate interest and 2) continue brainstorming with folks who are knowledgeable about growing food in the city and getting that food to market. We are still putting together a working model, but the big question is, "where's the capital going to come from?"

Are you a Bioneer?? We've started planning for the Cleveland conference in 2008. More details to come on this as they are worked out.

I suppose if I'm not dreaming about a full carbon TT bike decked out in dura-ace.....or Kona, I might as well dream about wind turbines, local food, and a positive future!!!

I think I'm gonna make it.....

My friends, I am just getting over one of the worst illnesses I have ever suffered through. I originally thought it was the flu, I couldn't even get out of bed for the first day my fever was so high. I couldn't work for 3 1/2 days and am still recovering on day 7. Now, it seems something more like a sinus infection I'm fighting off. Who knows how long it will be before I resume training. At this rate, another week probably. It's funny, when I'm well the one thing I look foreward to is training.....but when I was sick, the things I felt the worst about getting behind on were academics and work. Maybe my priorities aren't as backwards as I thought ;-)

It makes me do things like grind my teeth.....

I first noticed it a little bit on Sunday after my run whilst using the Roman Chair. Then, nothing for two days, until I felt it again about an hour after my morning spin on the trainer. Then, I noticed it more and more. After a swim. Walking around campus. During my core workout. Then I noticed something important...

swelling on the posterior portion of my knee....

...and a lingering stiffness. Not sore. No pain. A little swollen and stiff.

So, when I realized that I might have a little problem I decided to forgo my trainer session and run yesterday, and opted for a rest day.....

.....until 7:00 hit and I NEEDED to get a workout in, so I hit the pool for 2500 yards, which I believe is my longest swim workout since I began swimming last fall. Yes, I had to relieve a 'lil stress. I went through with my trainer session this morning, have been icing all afternoon and into this evening....

......and now I've got to wait and see how the knee feels tomorrow. I'd just take a big rest (and I may have to), but I'm just about ready for a half-mary PR on March 2nd...and I'm about ready to start my build for the TOSRV.

Besides RICE, what else does someone do who is a bit stressed out about a swollen knee? Finally register for Steelhead. And the TOSRV. And purchase my USAT membership. And spend some time trying to put together a race schedule with all of my "B" and "C" races. And start bike shopping. If anything can get your mind off of a tweaky knee, it is planning out your racing season,

and this.......
*of course I can't afford that bike.....but it is way prettier than my stiff, swollen knee.

Do you wanna ride to the mall??

When I was about 12 years old, my neighbor that lived across the street (who was the ripe old age of 14) asked me if I wanted to ride my bike with him to the mall. I told him there was no way I would be allowed, and with 14 years worth of wisdom he responded, "Me either. We don't need to tell our mom where we're going. She'll never know." So off we went.

I can't recall if I was riding my diamondback or my GT, but it was certainly a BMX. The instigator, known here as big kidd, had a BMX as well. Who didn't have a BMX in 1988, c'mon?? I don't recall having any money, but I do know the round trip was somewhere around 10 or 15 miles. We had to be back by dark.

Off we rode, towards the park (at least that's what our parents thought)....when in actuality, we were headed to the friendliest mall of all. It was a long ride there and man.....there were so many cars to navigate around once we got close. I was overwhelmed with the volume and speed of the traffic. Big kidd was older and bigger than I was and I had a hella tough time keeping up. He didn't seem too concerned about waiting for me, so I just hammered down on those little platform peddles as best I could and tried not to fall too far off his wheel. I sure as hell didn't want to get dropped (or as I called it at that time get left in the dust).

When we got to the mall we didn't have much time to hang out, so we went to the music store (where I more than likely browsed the Public Enemy, Ghetto Boys, and 2 Live Crew selection) and then we hit Toys R Us to scope the Nintendo games. Yes, the Nintendo entertainment system....with 2 buttons and 4 directional arrows on the controller. The controller was square; not exactly the ergonomical designs of today. Neither of us bought anything. We had no money, or no job. We were 12 and 14 and we peddled ourselves all the way to the mall, which was way better than a new CD or video game.

The ride home was rough. I was tired. Very tired. As a matter of fact, I was falling off of big kidd's wheel and as we cut across an empty field on our BMX's I bonked....hard. The grass was too much for me to handle, so I stuck to the sidewalk for the rest of the ride and continued on grimmacing with every pedal stroke. The sun was setting. I was nervous about riding waaayyyy on the other side of town at dusk when my parents thought I was at the park. As if that wasn't enough, big kidd didn't wait for my tired ass because we had to be home by dark......and it was pretty much dark. But I kept peddling.......and since my folks don't read this blog (as far as I know) they still don't know that I rode my bike to the mall with big kidd (as far as I know).

So, as I lie here in a big puddle of achy legs with eyes that can barely stay open I'm blaming big kidd for planting the almighty seed of adventure. Adventure on two human powered wheels that I can't get enough of still today....beyond thirty (just barely ;-) It is big kidd's fault that my legs have taken me a few thousand adventurous miles over the last couple years. It is big kidd's fault that I am riding in the TOSRV. And, it is big kidd's fault that I spend all of my spare change on winter cycling tights and chamois butt'r.

I took advantage of the sunny afternoon and took Amaterasu out for a little spin. It's the multi-hour excursions with her I enjoy best. Temps in the upper 30's. Sun shining. Booties covering my shoes and jacket zipped up to my hairy chin. Nearly 3 hours of spinning, a couple thousand feet of climbing, and a good nights rest.......all because big kidd had to tap into my spirit of adventure at the ripe old age of 12 and pose the question, "Do you realize how far we could ride our bikes?"

Spring again??!!??

This morning whilst sipping on my morning coffee, I flipped through my Patagonia Heart of Winter 2008 Catalog and anticipated the 60 degree afternoon staying dry (and windy) in order that I could donn some shorts and take Amaterasu for a spin. It looks like the rain is holding off, for now, and that if I quit blogging and hurry up an finish up some work I can squeeze a ride in this afternoon. In shorts. On January 8. In Northeast Ohio.

Even though this is a perfect opportunity to mention climate change, I won't ;-) We did have some warm spells last winter, but I don't think any of them took us to 60 degrees.

As for the Buckeyes, they were outplayed. They needed to establish the run and control the clock, and they didn't.......Which was better than last year, when they didn't even show up. Now, all of my hopes are lying on the shoulders of the Cavaliers (at least until baseball season).

Lebron was the NBA's player of the week last week. The Cavaliers won 3 straight. Their defense looks like it may have reappeared, but their backcourt is still a big mess, particularly on the offensive end of the court. Boobie has been the only guard to show any consistency, but h0w much can you rely on him, in his 2nd year in the league, to be a one man backcourt?? This year, with Detroit playing so well and dem Celtics looking nearly unbeatable (which they aren't), it is going to be a long, tough series of games in the Eastern Conference playoffs.....and the Cavs won't make it through without a deep and consistent backcourt. Funny thing is they seem to have the talent, they just can't find a rhythm (or the rotation) to make it work. Maybe Danny Ferry needs to shake things up a bit and make a trade??

Go Buckeyes!!!!!

Iowa and The NBA

I will make no attempt to connect the hawkeye state to pro basketball.

But, I will say that I'm cool with O'bama doing well in Iowa. However, I am a bit worried about Mr. Huckabee. Not worried that I think he's a better candidate than O'bama, or Clinton, or Edwards, or my favorite GOP candidate McCain....but worried about, well....let's just say Mr. Huckabee is not my favorite candidate. But it is just Iowa. I digress.

Last night, whilst pounding out a few miles on the dreadmill I watched Lebron James take over the game in the 4th quarter against Atlanta (yeah, Atlanta with the 4th best record in the East) and I smiled realizing that he is well on his way to becoming one of the best to ever play. Now that he's added a nice mid-range jumper over the off season as well as improved his free throw shooting he's becoming more and more dominant, especially towards the end of games.

AK-Rowdy!!!!!! (had to get the hometown shout out in there)

The cavaliers will come around. They'll be playing good ball by playoff time... and they'll need to be, because of that team in green.

Not Boston again!!!! Uh boy. First Florida twice....now Boston twice??

The Celtics better keep it up because there's a team up here on Lake Erie that is ready to come out of it's shell. Shit, the playoffs don't start until April.