It Takes All Kinds!

So there is this lady where I swim that is, well, let's just say "different". I shower, jump in, look at my schedule of sets, and off I go. I may drop a hello to the other swimmers if they are resting at the end of the lane. People are usually friendly and I have made friends with a couple of the other swimmers. But not the "Ice Queen". She is a very ritualistic person to say the least. I'm glad our pool is never crowded, because if it was, there'd be a showdown between her and those wanting to swim (I actually had to split a lane this week for about 5 minutes- the horror!)

So here is her ritual: she walks in, surveys the surroundings and stands at the end of the lane on deck. She stretches her hands overhead, this way and that and finally sits down at the head of the lane in a lotus pose (this is after several minutes). She then mediates for a while. Then she does several more poses (yogi this, yogi that), and then she delicately dips a toe into the pool and plays with the water for a few minutes. Then she does it with the other foot. This whole scenerio goes on for 10 minutes or so. Then she gets in and swims about 10 laps. It's quite the performance.

Now why do I call her the "Ice Queen"? Because I have never had such cold eye darts thrown at me before! She was yoga-ing at the head of lane one where the steps are and I enter via the steps. I thought she was about to jump in so I said "excuse me" and I crossed in front of her to get to the next lane. She did not like that I had spoken to her! She was mad that I had broken her intense preparation for her 10 freakin' laps that she does. I've had some mean looks thrown my way before, but damn! Cold, steely dagger eyes, telling me I had sinned beyond sin! And everytime I see her, she is still icy. To each their own, but whoa! All I have to say to her is, "Namaste, now get in the damn pool and swim!" LOL

Tears and Time

I've had really great workouts this week. Then I call home tonight just before I go in for my legs and shoulders workout. My youngest daughter Kelly answered the phone. She is 12 and in the 6th grade, but all of a sudden she sounded so grown up, like a teen! Where's my little kid? After the workout, I was driving home and the tears were really flowing down the ol' cheeks. Just like when I dropped Becca off for her first day of high school last September. It goes way too fast.

Manliness

Manly men, doing manly things, with other manly men, man heaven! We had a great hunt, 4 out of 5 of us harvested turkeys. Joe was teaching his son to hunt so he passed up a couple of shots that he would have taken on his own. The Captain Morgan hit the spot, as did the grub. I didn't overeat or binge or snack, which I feel good about. However, I did eat some stuff that I normally wood stay way from (Bratwurst, apple pie, beans, beer, rum, etc).

The weather was fantastic, here is a shot from our camp:

We were camped about 7,500 feet and could look down onto the plains of eastern Colorado. I was relaxing in a lawn chair Monday morning when this fog bank started rolling into the valleys below.



It was so nice to get away from work, the city, all the noise! It was so quiet and peaceful. Bright blue Colorado sky, warm sun and just a slight zephyr blowing through the pines. An occaisional hawk circling above, very very nice.

Now I'm back, trying to catch up on family, paying bills and reading blogs. Back to training tommorrow. My ankle held up well and I did get in some good hiking. Only about 75 days until the Cornman, I hope I make it, I wonder sometimes. Will I be able to walk 3 miles in an hour by then? We'll see soon enough!

Hi Bloggers!

Not a whole lot to report. I am going on vacation soon with my best buddies -turkey hunting - watch out Bigun! (Just kidding)

It will be so nice to get away from work which has me frazzeled. We keep picking up new customers but no extra help to deal with it. I read your blogs but have been sailing through without posting comments as my daughter has been hogging the PC, says she has homework. I guess that's a good thing! We go to a ranch of 10,000 acres with bears and mountian lions - very primitive and spectacular! Of course I will hunt, nap in the meadows, and set sail with Captain Morgan (which magically helps my guitar playing and singing actually sound very good!) But then I see it on tape after we sober up, and well, you know, it sucks! But I have a lot of fun.

My ankle was almost 100% then I tweaked it last week, not too bad, just a small setback. I can still walk. Two Sundays ago it was 1 hr 30 minutes with 3-4 rest stops of 5 minutes each to make it 1.4 miles. Two Sundays ago it was 1 rest stop for 1 minute and total time was 47 minutes. This past Sunday there were no rest stops and 42 minutes total time. So there is some progress!

May 16th I go to see one of the top foot and ankle docs in Denver to deal with my Morton's Nueroma:


I'm spending time on the trainer and doing about 3,000 yds in the pool each week. Slow but steady. It's only three months till my first race and I really want to be able to do it. I think the swim and bike will be good, I just need to be able to walk the 5k in about an hour or so. I'm hopeful at this point and have not slipped into the worrying thing yet :-)

Congrats to everyone who participated in IM AZ (both those who finished and those who didn't). Good job!

Today

I just heard about the shooting today and am very sad for those kids and their parents. My daughter goes to Columbine and we think about that often. Being a parent, I just think the horror they are going through must be too much to bear.

And I'm mad, mad at the way those who are supposed to serve and protect are now so concerned with risk management and risk assessment. Just like at Columbine, today at VA Tech you see swat officers and others hiding behind trees and cars "assessing" the situation. Get your asses in there and if you get shot, that's why you have the f*!%ing job! Maybe things would not have changed but get your asses in there! I work for the VA and everyday on our web site they have the people and the stories of who earned the Medal of Honor for that day in history. I can tell you there were a lot of people who jumped on grenades to save their buddies and sacrificed their lives without thought of their own safety. Some endured gun fire as they drug their injured mates back to safety time after time and then were killed themselves. The Coast Guard use to have the motto of "You have to go out, you don't have to come back". Now they do risk assessment. Makes me sick.

The Week in Review

It was a great week, the first week of being back working out in all areas. My ankle feels pretty good so far and the hip is getting better. Did two swims for a total of 3150 yds, walked 2 hours in several spurts, and biked 4 times for a total of one hour 30 minutes. My coach is working out very well and I'm glad I'm hooked up with him.

Just got back from Boulder where I got to meet GeekGirl and The Clydeologist himself at Colorado Multisports, where Brian was finishing up his bike fit and selection. Very cool place and when I get a tri bike someday I will be going there! I'm sure they will post their new bike porn as soon as their bikes arrive. We then went out for dinner and I really enjoyed their company. They are very nice people and funny! I'm glad I got to meet them.

Tommorrow I am off to walk around the lake (1.4 miles) with the goal of being just a tad faster and to only rest once or twice.

Oh yes, the new song for my site is "Time" from Pink Floyd because I am turning the big 5-0 on Monday - arrrggghhh! But the next 50 will be better!
Time
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again.
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older,
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.

Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over,
Thought I'd something more to say.

Tri Blogger Royalty

My hip is fine, the tendons/ligaments/muscles shortened when I was walking funny in the cast. Some consistent stretching should take care of the problem Whew!

Krissy is moving to Iowa to go to school and will be at the Cornman Tri and probably compete too! How cool is that!

And speaking of more Tri Blogger Royalty, on Saturday,The Clydeologist and GeekGirl will be in Boulder at Colorado Multisports to get new bikes! I am going to join them for dinner afterwards, more coolness!

This weeks workouts so far have been good. I feel just a bit of fitness coming back, have been doing short walks and bikes. Did 1600 in the pool yesreday and am scheduled for 1550 tommorrow. I've even dropped 3 pounds so far this week. I'm tired of the yo-yo and I am going to blast through this thing! (I better, I paid my fees yesterday for the Cornman in July!) Things are looking up and thanks to everyone for your encouragement!

Also saw these new signs on the interstate coming back into Colorado.

Hope you have a great week!

Starting Over

Diane and I took Annie for a walk around a nearby lake - 1.4 miles. I am so out of shape with walking and my cardio fitness is so low it took me 1:30:00 and 3 rest stops to make it. But my ankle held up pretty good and is barely sore today. That is what almost 4 months of not being able to walk will do to a guy. My lower back was tired so I better get some core work going also. I'm into the DR this morning to investigate the hip. I can hardly wait to get back in the pool on Wednesday, my pain-free haven the last 4 months.