Laziness Wins

I had all but decided to go get some Ben and Jerry's tonight.. Yet, I spent just enough quality time talking to my wife before she went running. Whoa, look at how late it's getting. Too late to go get ice cream now.

Take what you can get. I won't claim it's the high road, but it gets me to the next day. Time for Insomnia.

Firefox Update

Firefox 2.0.0.13 is available now.

I just thought I'd mention, because as many as 60% of you may not know..

I'm in Trouble

It looks like the Fat Tire folks cashed my check. I hope that's not bad news for too many of the rest of you. I guess I (have to|get to) put that 40 mile mountain bike extravaganza on the calendar. I'm excited, but at the same time I had secretly been hoping I might not make the cut. Now, that I know it's game on... I'm grinning.

If they did a "send in your form and we'll tell you in a month or so" entry for Ironman, tri-heads everywhere would be climbing the walls.

Hope to see you there!

Whoa!!

Winter Weather advisory 8"-15"... More snow if it's thundering. (what?) As long as it's gone by the time the antibiotics actually work, we'll call it even.

The scale showed a new low number last night. It's could be broken. It could be I am vindicated. I decided last night (for the second time) I will stick to one ice cream night per week. At this point, I'm calling the number rounding error. It is a good sign though. We party at the first 1xx number.

Oatmeal and espresso for breakfast, day 6 begins.

Telling it Like it Is.

I'm not going to lie. I'm some four days into this "eating less sugar" plan. Today, I was already having conversations with myself about "maybe 2x per week is OK for ice cream". I'm happy to say, I'm still convinced 1x is the way to go.. If I make it to Saturday, then I'll have executed 1x properly for the week.

Doc hooked me up with some antibiotics today.. Hopefully that is what I need to go full speed again.

There are 3 other people on my block signed up for LFM. Yikes. As "the Ironman", I need to represent. Or, just participating is cool too.

With any luck, the antibiotics will do there thing, I'll get done with on-call, and spring just might arrive all at once.... Don't call Vegas on that one just yet though.

Here We Are Again

If I don't keep trying, I won't get there.

Thanks to:

1. a pile of free pizza at work.
2. A conversation with a coworker who's been through the diet change.
3. On my way home listening to this podcast. (Zen and the Art of Triathlon - "Sugar!")
4. Others who report success and happiness.
   
5. Late season start on Racine, and the desire to do well.
6. The belief that maybe my sinus/cold dealio won't go away until I slow down on the pile of sugar I ingest per day.
7. In spite of the fact that I "don't look fat", I want to keep my heart healthy and see my kids grow up.

Oatmeal for breakfast held me well until lunch.. Good homemade vegetable style soup (with chicken) for dinner.. Portion sizes all the way.. This brings me to the tough part. 8:00pm to bed time. I think I'll do some core then read myself to sleep.

Thank you for your support.

Back on Two Wheels

I got the fixed gear back together. The road tires are on it. And I headed out this afternoon in upper 30 degree weather for an hour ride. I'm a bit under the weather, so it was just about getting out there..

I did see a whole pile of Alterra team folks zooming the other way a couple times.

It felt good to go.

First blog schwag?

Maybe not.. But I got these in the mail along with a sticker.. I've either gone completely batty, or I didn't order these. Maybe we bump up the sesame street alert level one notch.

I make no agreement to postivily review free stuff sent to me..

On the other hand, I looked these up before. 53x11 seems like a good match for a guy that drinks coffee daily and happens to bike ride, even "race" on occasion. Look for an upcoming review..

If you are reading this and responsible for sending it.. Thanks.

Spiritual Enlightenment Part II

This morning it was 40 F. when I walked the dog. The sidewalks had melted. Many were covered with water. Almost none had ice anymore. Did I learn my lesson?

Certainly to think writing about the walks caused the changes would be near ridiculous. Yet, I did write and they did change. Correlation does not imply causation. At the same time, when I look back or re-read these posts there exists a possibility they will effect my memory of these days. I don't dare put more thought into my posts.. Yet, maybe I should let "the editor" in me decide if they all need to go to print.

Man, someone needs a bike ride.

Science or Spiritual Lesson

The science of it all revolves around 32 degrees F., or zero C. The temperature at which water freezes. As it turns out, water and ice can both exist at 32 degrees. There is more there, like how many calories it takes to change from ice to water and vice versa, but that's not important for today's lesson.


"Let the righteous be righteous still. Listen to the words long written down."
- J. Cash

Complaint: 1/3 of the sidewalks I ran on yesterday were icy due to not being shoveled for weeks. After my blog entry noting such complaint the following ensued.

Mother nature came to my rescue. The outdoor temps rose over 32F. Much of the snow melted and turned to water. Most, if not all of the sidewalks with big problems lost their ice. Much of it turning to water.

Mother nature has a sense of humor. I run late pretty often.. By 9:00 P.M. the temps dropped to right around 32F. It was just cold enough to freeze a thin layer of that water on nearly 75% of the sidewalks I ran on. Further still I note, 32F is warm enough that not all the water melted. What was not ice was a nice deep, kaplooshing, freezing puddle.

That'll teach me. I dig the snow. I'm not so keen on the ice, but it comes with the territory. It's mid-March. I humbly request spring to start. (Yes, I already realize this probably means torrential rains and 42F).

Please Shovel Your Walk

I like the benefit of running on ice. It has allowed me to focus more on picking me legs up and less on actual speed. All around, I expect this to help.

Be that as it may, many of you still don't seem to realize everyone else has shoveled their walk. It's just you and the neighbors on your block that forgot. Look around the rest of the neighborhood. You will be flabbergasted at the clean dry walks all over. Then you might think how nice it would be for the postal worker who delivers for your house not to have to drudge over the ice and through the near frozen puddles to get you your mail. But JWM, you say, "the postal crew lives for foul weather." OK then, think of the runners. I know you hate them anyway. But really, is hatred any reason to negligently provide them a way to fall and hurt themselves? Hurt badly enough, one might need a wheel chair. Then one certainly won't be able to pass your front walk.

Luckily though, I welcome the challenge and feel my run is better for it.

Special thanks to those of you that live in live on corners and can afford yearly security system fees, but not someone to shovel.

And no, I didn't fall on my run today.

7 Things

I've been tagged by TriTeacher.

1. I'm a computer, GPS, palm pilot, DSLR camera, tech geek kinda guy. Yet, I still own a broadcast only, non-HD, 20" tube TV as my main, living room "entertainment center".
2. I have few vices. High zoot espresso drinks from Alterra top the list. A skim bullfrog is my favorite. It's basically a mocha with some mint in it. Last week I bought a new espresso brewer. This is in effort to curtail my $4 coffee habit. I will still get the beans from them.
   
3. I played violin for 7-8 years growing up. I hated rock music. One day, I heard my brother listening to "Eruption" from VanHalen. A weekend shortly after that, I spent the entire weekend in his room, using his guitar. I played until my finger were raw. I learned a good deal of the notes. From there it was guitar city.. I have long since forgotten to play both with any proficiency. I still hold "write, play, record an album" on my "to do before" list.
   
4. I'm a slow swim, bike, runner. It's wonderful stress relief either way.
5. I am constantly suprised at how much of myself I see in my kids. I count myself beyond lucky for many reasons, my family easily at the top.
   
6. Nearly everything I write is closer to stream of conscious, than plan.... Tomorrow this list would be different.
7. I like computer security. It's interesting. I don't forward joke emails, Bill Gates will give you $1 emails, or any of the like. If you are one of these people, try Snopes first. If you say, "but JWM that ain't computer security." Then try something like this.
   

In that spirit, if you want to be tagged, you are.

In The Shadow of Ironman

Or is it "Confession Time Part II" ?

I'm sending my entry off to Fat Tire 40 tomorrow.

I signed up for Lakefront Marathon today.

I'm 1/2 contemplating which WORS race I have the best chance of surviving. Though if it came down to it, I really dug the very relaxed atmosphere of WEMS.

Not to forget, Trek100, maybe another tri or two for fun, and some promise to the in-law side of the crim last Christmas.

This may turn out to be a pretty busy year yet.

Confession Time

Lately, I've been clicking on bookmarks for:

• WORS
• WEMS
• Fat Tire 40

I'm reminded of the line from Raising Arizona, "I found myself driving past convenience stores... that weren't on the way home."

I know full well, I just have to go ride in the dirt and not worry much of racin' talk.

What Happens When I Stay Up Past My Bedtime...

Strange things happen..

If I'm not careful, I will have to ride that mountain bike one day soon.

I knew I shouldn't have tested out the new espresso maker so late at night.

Fighting My Way Back to the Grind

Quick update here.. Mostly running and strength training lately. I'm banking the combo has the greatest fitness effect. I gots me some new shoes, now I run like someone else!

I tried biking on the trainer the other day, and it was horrid. I felt like I had never biked in my life. The proposed (hopefully quick) remedy is to get one of those 2 wheelers outdoors.

On that note, I made it a few more percent toward single speed project completion on the mountain bike. I think I just have to hook up the chain. Maybe one or two other things..

In the pool I'm bobbing back and forth once in a blue moon..

Running is slow, steady and feels right. I have much hope for this season.