Tuesday, September 30, 2008

2 Month Post Surgery Doctor Visit

Today I had my 2 month follow up with the surgeon. Everything is going well and I have been cleared to do what I want to do whit the warning that there is a bit of wear that could limit my ultra running abilities.

On the training front things are looking up. I am doing a 10 -12 miler every weekday morning. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I do a 45 minute spin class following the run. My M-F evening workouts are an hour on the treadmill, a weight workout and a spin class. Next week, I will start to add a swim workout 2-3 times a week.

In 11 days, I will pace the final 14 miles of the Baltimore Marathon. I will do the full Marine Corp at the end of the month. In November I will do the NCR Marathon. Sometime in early December I need to get a 35-40 miler under my belt. January starts the 2009 season with my favorite race – Running with an Angel in glorious Las Vegas. Of course I will need 10 day in town post race to recover and rehydrate!

I have started to cruise EBay for tri bike components. I have purchased a new set of handle bars for the Kestrel 4000 to replace the old Scott DH bars. I have a low ball bid on a bike but I am leaning to going with the 20 year old Kestrel. It is still a lot more bike than I will need. I will be better severed by spending time training the engine and not worry about a few grams in the bike.

On the work front, I am picking up vibes that I will survive the merger. Thank God that I invested a lot of time in my career through graduate studies and certification. I am getting 2-3 call a day from headhunters so if the unthinkable happens, I should be able to land on my feet.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

It Has Been One Hell of a Week

Let's start with the good …

  • The new gym http://www.macwellness.com/ is working out real well. I am able to get an early morning workout in before work and an evening workout in without moving my car. I saving gas and have more motivation to work out. There is no excuse to skip a workout when you need to walk through the gym to get to your car.
  • My father had cataract surgery and came through it well
  • My PT for my knee is progressing well … I have full range of motion in the knee but need to work on strength.
  • I am still employed --- I think


 

Now the less than good…

  • My Company experienced a meltdown http://www.reuters.com/article/fundsFundsNews/idUSN1732289820080918 . Academically, I know what caused the problems but I am still kind of in a daze on how fast things happened. I am going to lose a few bucks in the deal but I think I will survive the acquisition.
  • I had a simple replacement of an old dental filling… now the Dentist tells me that there is a good chance that that tooth may need a root canal.
  • All the drama associated with the issue cause me to cancel my plans to go to The Iroquois Trails 100 to crew for a friend and do a bit of sampling of the NY wines. So much for purchasing non refundable tickets and getting a deal on Priceline for a cheap (non refundable) car.
  • I was a bit stressed on Friday, which caused me to overdo the evening workout. My knee hurts so much that I spent most of Saturday in bed icing it.
  • I am getting phone calls from the President of my Toastmaster group asking why I haven't distributed the agenda for Thursday's meeting … Do you think I give a shi# who is going to be Gruntmaster at the next meeting? I think toastmasters is becoming more trouble than it is worth.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Changes

Today was a big day. I decided to change Gyms. I actually have belonged to 2 gyms that are at opposite ends of spectrum.

FX is a great club with superb facilities and a great staff. I will miss this club a lot.

Brick Bodies (Downtown) is a disgusting, dirty, worn down facility with poor management and a staff that would have problems serving up a Big Mac with fries.

On many occasions, I have arrived for my 5:30 a.m. workout only to find the doors locked because someone decide to sleep in. The showers at this club are filthy. The lifeguardless pool is gross, it is about 4 feet deep but you would never know it because you can rarely see the bottom. the condition of locker rooms reminds you of a dilapidated middle school.

With the way they run business ... I am sure that there will be "billing errors" that will lead to continued charges on my credit card.

I have endured this club for years because it is conveniently located near my office and there really wasn't a viable option in downtown Baltimore.

Today, I entered nirvana. I joined the MAC www.macwellness.com The downtown club is heaven. Clean, modern equipment, a beautiful pool and attentive staff; what a change from Brick Bodies!

I now have no excuse not to be in Ironman shape by next August.

I was a member of MAC in Timonium for about 10 years before I got a bit bored and and joined FX.

Since then MAC opened a downtown and Hunt Valley Club (next to FX) in addition to their flagship Timonium facility. So, I am quitting 2 clubs and joining 1 that has 3 convenient locations. I will save about 80 bucks a month in club membership fees and another $ 100 or so a month in parking since I will park on a lot next to the MAC and walk about 10 minutes to the office.

I'll walk a mile for a nice club!


Saturday, September 6, 2008

I’ve Been Outed!!!


 

There are some secrets that we all try to keep in the dark, hidden from our closest friends and loved ones. Well Umstead was one of those dark secrets that I wanted to hide from the Snails. I just wanted to sneak off and try this one more time without the pressure of having a crew or dedicated pacer. I wanted to be invisible. I did my home work and surveyed the possible race participants in our little band of misfits and thought I was going to be able to hide my attempt to run Umstead.

Well my plans were destroyed by the publishing of the list of race participants on the website. Soon after the posting of the list I received the following email from a trusted friend

 "I sort of remember someone saying never again, wonder who that was? "

So much for my plans to sneak off and do the race… I better finish the job this year; otherwise I will have to adopt an alias for 2010.

I have decided to come clean with my entire 2009 plan. All the races I have registered to do are listed under Racing Plans.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

He Who Hesitates..


According to some blogs online registration for Umstead closed after just 19 minutes!

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/joemiller/endurance-registration-a-sprint
Update from the race web site:
Sept 5, 8 pm, Both the Race and waiting list are full. No additional entries will be accepted. We are saddened that so many Umstead hopefuls had to be turned away due to our race cap. We hope you will try to run with us in a future year

Ummie’s Lure

Online registration is already full. You can mail a registration in to see if you can get on the wait list

Could there be that many masochists eager to register for a 100 mile trek in the North Carolina woods that this race filled up in less than a day?

Come to think of it, do I really want to be out in the middle of the night on a dark trail with 200 other sick minded individuals?

All joking aside, it is not surprising that the Umstead 100 filled in less than 24 hours. It is a first class event. The Race Director and volunteers are the best. The aid stations are endless smorgasbords for the runners.

Here is an excerpt from my April 8, 2008 blog entry –

"Umstead is a great course, the aid stations and volunteers are superior. I don't know what is in the North Carolina water but it brings out the best in people. After I crashed, I fell asleep on a bench in the HQ building only to be awakened by an apologizing volunteer, a true angle of mercy as she lifted my head to place a pillow. She had already covered me with a blanket."

Is there any question why I am drawn by Ummie's call?

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Death Wish III



Well it is done. At precisely 12 noon today I took a step into the dark abyss of my running experiences. I committed to return to the bane of my existence as a runner – the Umstead 100.


Ummie and I have done battle on two prior occasions and I have fallen short on both. In 2007, a broken rib and hamburger feet were my demise at 62 mile. 2008 Umstead was where I did in my knee resulting in surgery and my current state of recovery. What adventures await me in 2009?


Is there a Psychologist in the house … I need help.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Idle Hands Are The Devil's Tools


Today the gym was closed and, after my morning run, I decided to do a bit of surfing on the net. I looked at some of the race sites trying to plan my 2009 calendar. Let's see Umstead Registration opens tomorrow … Do I dare go for a third attempt?

What other fun things could I do in 2009? Ultras??? Adventure Racing??? Bull Riding???

Triathlons look like fun with all their techno gear and lycra! I own a swim suit and a bike (one of the original Kestrels) … Why not give it a tri?

I am registered for the 2009 Louisville Ironman!!! Time to break out the water wings.

On second thought maybe I should have spent the morning surfing Match.com.