Before starting on this post, I thought that this might be a little weak. I didn't think I had the best year on this blog, especially the second half. But surprisingly, I had plenty of candidates (27) for my end of the year "Top Posts" post. I narrowed them down, as I did last year, to the top 10:
10. The Rise of the Snuggie. Not that it was that great, but it really got a lot of hits through search engines.
9. A Cold Ride. Beth hates my ninja picture. Others love it.
8. I'm a Tough Guy...or an Idiot. Idiocy is funny.
7. The Tale of the Strange Liquid. Another post that Beth finds embarassing. We all did stupid stuff in college... this is just a different kind of stupid than most people.
6. Pittsburgh Marathon Race Report. I had to mix in a race report. I didn't do a lot of racing in 2009, but this one was my best.
5. Beth Thinks I'm Weird. Never before has frozen corn been so controversial.
4. Beat the Car. This is mostly on here because of my exquisite illustration.
3. The Perfect Ride. Pretty much my favorite local 50-mile lollipop.
2. Everything in Moderation...Especially Chicken Wings. Ah, memories!
1. The Suspense is Killing Me! How appropriate that Adele was born just hours after I wrote that post!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
I Hereby Declare the Conventional Toothbrush Obsolete
A couple years ago my parents bought me an Oral-B Vitality electric toothbrush for Christmas. I started out using it sporadically, but after my dental hygienist scolded me for not flossing for the umpteenth time, I decided to commit to the vitality full-time.
I don't usually gush over things like toothbrushes, but when I travel I just pack a conventional toothbrush (since I get them for free from the dentist's office, I might as well use it), and being away from my Oral-B Vitality for four days, I noticed the difference.
I hardly felt like I had brushed my teeth at all when using the old conventional brush. It wasn't until I got home and used my electric vitality that my teeth felt clean again.
And yes, I just wrote a post about a toothbrush on my running/cycling blog, but it's a really good toothbrush!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Long Run (Part II)
You may remember a few weeks ago I was lamenting my lack of endurance when I completed my six-mile "long run" for the week.
This weekend I was scheduled for a nine-mile long run, and I was ready with a list of excuses if I couldn't manage to get it done. We're out of town, the weather is bad, I've had a bit of a cold (more like some congestion that doesn't want to commit to a full blown illness) and our social schedule is a little hectic.
But somehow I managed to fit it in. Beth's parents live in Meadville, Pennsylvania (actually just outside of Meadville, but it's easier to just say "in Meadville") and there are some nice, quiet backroads for running. Some nice, quiet, hilly backroads that is.
So my mentality going in, was to just get it done. Nine miles, no time limit. The plan was to just keep my heart rate in the "aerobic" zone, which meant walking up the biggest hills. So I did it. I did the four-mile loop twice and added a nice little one-mile jog around the block to finish the nine miles. 1:38.
It may have nearly been an 11-minute per mile pace, but there were two sizeable hills on each loops that slowed me down considerably. And when I was done I felt like I could do it all again. My endurance is back! Or, I should say my nine-mile endurance is back.
I'm still going to be increasing my mileage back up slowly, but my weekly mileage is almost back to where it was at this time last year, it's just a matter of getting my long runs in and spending a few hours at a time out on the trails before I really feel back (and hopefully better than ever).
This weekend I was scheduled for a nine-mile long run, and I was ready with a list of excuses if I couldn't manage to get it done. We're out of town, the weather is bad, I've had a bit of a cold (more like some congestion that doesn't want to commit to a full blown illness) and our social schedule is a little hectic.
But somehow I managed to fit it in. Beth's parents live in Meadville, Pennsylvania (actually just outside of Meadville, but it's easier to just say "in Meadville") and there are some nice, quiet backroads for running. Some nice, quiet, hilly backroads that is.
So my mentality going in, was to just get it done. Nine miles, no time limit. The plan was to just keep my heart rate in the "aerobic" zone, which meant walking up the biggest hills. So I did it. I did the four-mile loop twice and added a nice little one-mile jog around the block to finish the nine miles. 1:38.
It may have nearly been an 11-minute per mile pace, but there were two sizeable hills on each loops that slowed me down considerably. And when I was done I felt like I could do it all again. My endurance is back! Or, I should say my nine-mile endurance is back.
I'm still going to be increasing my mileage back up slowly, but my weekly mileage is almost back to where it was at this time last year, it's just a matter of getting my long runs in and spending a few hours at a time out on the trails before I really feel back (and hopefully better than ever).
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Merry Christmas to All...
Seeing how this is my last post before Christmas, I should make it a little Christmas-y. The problem is, the "Christmas Spirit" hasn't really settled in at the Lorow house yet.
We've been so busy to adjusting to life with a baby, then adjusting to having her in daycare, then adjusting to having to be home to take care of her when she's sick, that Christmas has been on the back burner. Not that we're not ready for Christmas - at least in terms of having our cards done, cookies made and presents bought, but we're not excited for Christmas yet.
It is exciting however, to think of Christmas next year when Adele will have a bit of a clue that she's getting presents.
In my family Christmas is a big deal. My mom LOVES Christmas and my sister LOVES Christmas. In fact, I'm pretty sure Katie will wake up at 5:30 this year and lay in bed until 7:00 when she has permission to go downstairs and open presents (Katie is 28 by the way and has a child of her own).
That was the rule, though. At our house, we couldn't wake mom or dad up (who am I kidding? Mom was already up!) until 7:00 AM, then Mom would go downstairs and plug in the tree while we waited at the top of the stairs for the word that it was okay to come down.
Beth's family didn't have that big gift-opening celebration first thing in the morning. They slept in, ate a delicious breakfast (I assume it's delicious because I've never had anything at my in-laws' house that wasn't) went about their day, then at some point someone says "hey, aren't there presents we should be opening?" And they'd go open presents.
Okay, maybe it wasn't that nonchalant, but in comparison to my Christmas-loving, early-morning-gift-opening family, they're pretty nonchalant about it. I mean, there are presents. Of course, when you consider that usually by 10:30 AM I was laying on the couch in a chocolate-peppermint coma, maybe nonchalant is preferable.
It's going to be interesting to see what side Adele will take after. Because really, a lot of this is going to be driven by her attitude toward sleeping, presents and all things yuletide. Will she be up at the crack of dawn or will she rather sleep in? Breakfast first or presents?
So while we have a lot of distractions this year keeping "the Christmas spirit" at bay, I still have to think that in years to come this will be the best time of year to be a parent. Merry Christmas everyone!
We've been so busy to adjusting to life with a baby, then adjusting to having her in daycare, then adjusting to having to be home to take care of her when she's sick, that Christmas has been on the back burner. Not that we're not ready for Christmas - at least in terms of having our cards done, cookies made and presents bought, but we're not excited for Christmas yet.
It is exciting however, to think of Christmas next year when Adele will have a bit of a clue that she's getting presents.
In my family Christmas is a big deal. My mom LOVES Christmas and my sister LOVES Christmas. In fact, I'm pretty sure Katie will wake up at 5:30 this year and lay in bed until 7:00 when she has permission to go downstairs and open presents (Katie is 28 by the way and has a child of her own).
That was the rule, though. At our house, we couldn't wake mom or dad up (who am I kidding? Mom was already up!) until 7:00 AM, then Mom would go downstairs and plug in the tree while we waited at the top of the stairs for the word that it was okay to come down.
Beth's family didn't have that big gift-opening celebration first thing in the morning. They slept in, ate a delicious breakfast (I assume it's delicious because I've never had anything at my in-laws' house that wasn't) went about their day, then at some point someone says "hey, aren't there presents we should be opening?" And they'd go open presents.
Okay, maybe it wasn't that nonchalant, but in comparison to my Christmas-loving, early-morning-gift-opening family, they're pretty nonchalant about it. I mean, there are presents. Of course, when you consider that usually by 10:30 AM I was laying on the couch in a chocolate-peppermint coma, maybe nonchalant is preferable.
It's going to be interesting to see what side Adele will take after. Because really, a lot of this is going to be driven by her attitude toward sleeping, presents and all things yuletide. Will she be up at the crack of dawn or will she rather sleep in? Breakfast first or presents?
So while we have a lot of distractions this year keeping "the Christmas spirit" at bay, I still have to think that in years to come this will be the best time of year to be a parent. Merry Christmas everyone!
Monday, December 21, 2009
This Post Will Make God Laugh
Ever hear the saying, "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans?" Well, this post will make God laugh.
I've sketched up a four-year plan of races I'd like to do. Running only - I figure I can work in cycling events (if any, I've only done one (if you count the 100 Miles of Nowhere) in the past 3 years) in between as cross-training.
So before I show my outline, I want to emphasize (mostly to Beth) that this schedule is based on "ideal conditions" - no injuries, no changes to my schedule...basically it's impossible. Well, not impossible, just highly improbable. These four years get me to my first 100 miler. (Like I said, highly improbable.)
2010:
March - Chambersburg Half Marathon
July - Finger Lakes Fifties 25K
September - Trails4 Tails Ultra Run (40 miles) (assuming we don't move, or I manage to train around moving this summer)
November - Harrisburg Marathon
2011 (This is when things get hairy)
February - Hashewha Hills 50K
April - Bull Run Run 50 Mile
July - Finger Lakes Fifties 50K
October - Oil Creek 50 Mile
December - Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon
2012
March - HAT Run 50K
June - Laurel Highlands Ultra (70.5 Miles)
September - Trails4 Tails Ultra Run
November - JFK 50 Mile
2013
February - Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile
April - Garden Spot Village Marathon
July - 20 in 24 Lone Ranger Ultra Marathon
October - Oil Creek 100 Mile
The desire to do 100 miles will probably fade after my next 50 miler. Unless it goes much better than JFK did last year. Because I can't imagine doing that twice. (Although I was under-trained...)
But I definitely want to get back to another 50 miler, and I definitely want another crack at JFK, because I think I can do much better than I did. Beyond that...we'll see. But at least I've got a planned outlined, even if it does change tomorrow!
I've sketched up a four-year plan of races I'd like to do. Running only - I figure I can work in cycling events (if any, I've only done one (if you count the 100 Miles of Nowhere) in the past 3 years) in between as cross-training.
So before I show my outline, I want to emphasize (mostly to Beth) that this schedule is based on "ideal conditions" - no injuries, no changes to my schedule...basically it's impossible. Well, not impossible, just highly improbable. These four years get me to my first 100 miler. (Like I said, highly improbable.)
2010:
March - Chambersburg Half Marathon
July - Finger Lakes Fifties 25K
September - Trails4 Tails Ultra Run (40 miles) (assuming we don't move, or I manage to train around moving this summer)
November - Harrisburg Marathon
2011 (This is when things get hairy)
February - Hashewha Hills 50K
April - Bull Run Run 50 Mile
July - Finger Lakes Fifties 50K
October - Oil Creek 50 Mile
December - Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon
2012
March - HAT Run 50K
June - Laurel Highlands Ultra (70.5 Miles)
September - Trails4 Tails Ultra Run
November - JFK 50 Mile
2013
February - Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile
April - Garden Spot Village Marathon
July - 20 in 24 Lone Ranger Ultra Marathon
October - Oil Creek 100 Mile
The desire to do 100 miles will probably fade after my next 50 miler. Unless it goes much better than JFK did last year. Because I can't imagine doing that twice. (Although I was under-trained...)
But I definitely want to get back to another 50 miler, and I definitely want another crack at JFK, because I think I can do much better than I did. Beyond that...we'll see. But at least I've got a planned outlined, even if it does change tomorrow!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Snowed In
...and it was enough for me to postpone my 8-mile run until today. And forced me to run on roads instead of the trail, which was disappointing.
And some of us found that being snowed in was the perfect reason to do some extra sleep and be extra snuggly.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Headlines
You know how Jay Leno always does that "Headlines" bit with wacky stuff people send in from their local newspapers? I've been reading some news sites this week and found a few "Headlines" of my own.
From Bloomberg.com: Blizzard Dumps Snow on Copenhagen as Leaders Battle Warming. Sounds like they succeeded! Good job all, enjoy your flights home. (Why do they always schedule these global warming conferences in the winter? They know the right will bash them if something like this happens!)
From CNN.com: Opinion: Violence Based on Hate Has to Stop. But all other violence is okay? I guess you're entitled to that opinion.
From Foxnews.com: Pope Breaks with Tradition, Moves Midnight Mass to 10 PM. I suppose if the Big 10 can have 11 schools, midnight mass can start at 10.
And my personal favorite:
From our local media here in Harrisburg on Pennlive.com: Rodent Infestation Closes Capitol Cafeteria. Too easy...just plain too easy.
From Bloomberg.com: Blizzard Dumps Snow on Copenhagen as Leaders Battle Warming. Sounds like they succeeded! Good job all, enjoy your flights home. (Why do they always schedule these global warming conferences in the winter? They know the right will bash them if something like this happens!)
From CNN.com: Opinion: Violence Based on Hate Has to Stop. But all other violence is okay? I guess you're entitled to that opinion.
From Foxnews.com: Pope Breaks with Tradition, Moves Midnight Mass to 10 PM. I suppose if the Big 10 can have 11 schools, midnight mass can start at 10.
And my personal favorite:
From our local media here in Harrisburg on Pennlive.com: Rodent Infestation Closes Capitol Cafeteria. Too easy...just plain too easy.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Nightmare Adventures
Okay, maybe "nightmare" is a bit strong, but I thought that would be a good contrast to my "Dream Adventures" post from this past Spring. What this post is about are adventures that may look like fun at first glance, but could have unintended consequences.
1. Swim the Mississippi. I read about this in this month's Outside Magazine. Martin Strel is an endurance swimmer who is swimming some of the world's longest (and filthiest) rivers. He swam the Amazon and had issues with parasites and neurosis (not to mention piranhas). He swam the Yangtze and ran into dead bodies. He swam the Mississippi and spent three days in the hospital from all the toxins. Thanks, I'll stick to the pool.
2. Run the Brazil 135 Ultramarathon. I'm not keen on the other Badwater World Cup events either, but for some reason the Badwater Ultramarathon and the Arrowhead 135 just don't seem as bad. Maybe it's the mountains. Maybe it's the fact you're in another country. Or maybe it's the fact that Gary Johnson, an English runner suffered from kidney failure after the 2009 edition. He's not the first to deal with renal failure in an ultra, but it happened a long way from home.
3. Ride the Silk Route. This is actually the least dangerous of the three. And I don't mean to knock Tour D'Afrique, because they have built a great reputation of doing great tours and great races. But the route goes through northern Iran. Didn't I hear something about hikers who wandered into Iran? Thanks, but the Tour of Jamaica is more up my alley.
1. Swim the Mississippi. I read about this in this month's Outside Magazine. Martin Strel is an endurance swimmer who is swimming some of the world's longest (and filthiest) rivers. He swam the Amazon and had issues with parasites and neurosis (not to mention piranhas). He swam the Yangtze and ran into dead bodies. He swam the Mississippi and spent three days in the hospital from all the toxins. Thanks, I'll stick to the pool.
2. Run the Brazil 135 Ultramarathon. I'm not keen on the other Badwater World Cup events either, but for some reason the Badwater Ultramarathon and the Arrowhead 135 just don't seem as bad. Maybe it's the mountains. Maybe it's the fact you're in another country. Or maybe it's the fact that Gary Johnson, an English runner suffered from kidney failure after the 2009 edition. He's not the first to deal with renal failure in an ultra, but it happened a long way from home.
3. Ride the Silk Route. This is actually the least dangerous of the three. And I don't mean to knock Tour D'Afrique, because they have built a great reputation of doing great tours and great races. But the route goes through northern Iran. Didn't I hear something about hikers who wandered into Iran? Thanks, but the Tour of Jamaica is more up my alley.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
I'm a Tough Guy ... or an Idiot
Reminder: Thursday is the LAST DAY of Amazon's 12 Days of Christmas. Also, Thursday is the last day Amazon can get anything you order to you by Christmas Day. So do your shopping now!
I'm always impressed of stories of people doing basic surgery on themselves. That sounded weird, so let me give you some examples. Aron Ralston cutting off his own arm, crab fisherment doing their own stitches when something tears a hunk of flesh out of them, or guys taking fishhooks out of their own hand. That kind of stuff.
Well, yesterday I joined their ranks.
I was at work and just got off the phone with Beth. Things were slow and my mind was wandering. And I was fidgeting. Usually when I fidget it involves a pen or highlighter or rubber band. This time it involved my stapler. (Can you see where I'm going with this?)
So I was fidgeting with my stapler, looking at my computer screen and I hear the "ker-chunk" of the stapler doing what staplers do. I immediately thought "where did that staple go?" This thought was obviously thunk out of denial because I knew exactly where that staple went judging from the throbbing in the middle finger of my right hand. (How come every time I hurt a finger it's my middle finger?)
I got over my denial rather quickly when I looked at my finger and saw the staple embedded in it. Ouch. Then I went over my options.
I could get somebody to help me. But if I do that I will never hear the end of it. I'd only been in this department for about 7 months and I didn't want this to be my legacy. I could go to the sink and pull the staple out there in case there's blood. But again, that would draw the attention of co-workers.
So I decided to handle it at my desk. Fortunately I had a box of bandaids and a box of kleenex at the ready. Having everything prepped, I carefully pulled the staple out of my finger and waited for the blood to start gushing out.
Amazingly, there was no blood. When I realized that the catastrophe had passed and I had gotten through it without alerting any co-workers, I thought "I should have taken a picture when the staple was still in there for my blog." Because it would have looked pretty cool.
So I put my tissues and band-aids away and thought to myself, I totally just pulled a staple out of my finger. I didn't even wince. I am such a tough guy. ...Or maybe I'm just an idiot for stapling my finger to begin with?
I'm always impressed of stories of people doing basic surgery on themselves. That sounded weird, so let me give you some examples. Aron Ralston cutting off his own arm, crab fisherment doing their own stitches when something tears a hunk of flesh out of them, or guys taking fishhooks out of their own hand. That kind of stuff.
Well, yesterday I joined their ranks.
I was at work and just got off the phone with Beth. Things were slow and my mind was wandering. And I was fidgeting. Usually when I fidget it involves a pen or highlighter or rubber band. This time it involved my stapler. (Can you see where I'm going with this?)
So I was fidgeting with my stapler, looking at my computer screen and I hear the "ker-chunk" of the stapler doing what staplers do. I immediately thought "where did that staple go?" This thought was obviously thunk out of denial because I knew exactly where that staple went judging from the throbbing in the middle finger of my right hand. (How come every time I hurt a finger it's my middle finger?)
I got over my denial rather quickly when I looked at my finger and saw the staple embedded in it. Ouch. Then I went over my options.
I could get somebody to help me. But if I do that I will never hear the end of it. I'd only been in this department for about 7 months and I didn't want this to be my legacy. I could go to the sink and pull the staple out there in case there's blood. But again, that would draw the attention of co-workers.
So I decided to handle it at my desk. Fortunately I had a box of bandaids and a box of kleenex at the ready. Having everything prepped, I carefully pulled the staple out of my finger and waited for the blood to start gushing out.
Amazingly, there was no blood. When I realized that the catastrophe had passed and I had gotten through it without alerting any co-workers, I thought "I should have taken a picture when the staple was still in there for my blog." Because it would have looked pretty cool.
So I put my tissues and band-aids away and thought to myself, I totally just pulled a staple out of my finger. I didn't even wince. I am such a tough guy. ...Or maybe I'm just an idiot for stapling my finger to begin with?
Monday, December 14, 2009
Stop Means Stop (Except Right Turn)
I don't consider myself much of an interstate traveler. But of the states I've driven in, I'm pretty sure Pennsylvania is the only one that has "EXCEPT RIGHT TURN" underneath some stop signs.
I get the idea - that you can keep traffic moving by just allowing someone to turn right without stopping, since that's probably what they are going to do anyways. But what if there is someone already at the intersection, coming from the opposite direction, trying to turn left? How do they even know that there is an "EXCEPT RIGHT TURN" sign there?
Sure, they'll see the back of the sign, but how do they know that it doesn't just have lane arrows on it. Or is telling you that there's a garage sale to the right. Or just says "Collaborate and Listen."
And what kind of message is that sending to our kids? That they shouldn't take signs seriously? Even worse is the sign at the mall that says "STOP" then underneath "Right Turn Keep Moving." Which is it? Stop or keep moving?
Can't we just say "stop means stop" with no exceptions?
I get the idea - that you can keep traffic moving by just allowing someone to turn right without stopping, since that's probably what they are going to do anyways. But what if there is someone already at the intersection, coming from the opposite direction, trying to turn left? How do they even know that there is an "EXCEPT RIGHT TURN" sign there?
Sure, they'll see the back of the sign, but how do they know that it doesn't just have lane arrows on it. Or is telling you that there's a garage sale to the right. Or just says "Collaborate and Listen."
And what kind of message is that sending to our kids? That they shouldn't take signs seriously? Even worse is the sign at the mall that says "STOP" then underneath "Right Turn Keep Moving." Which is it? Stop or keep moving?
Can't we just say "stop means stop" with no exceptions?
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Day of Rest
To end the day yesterday, I did my Christmas shopping, which didn't last long because I don't like going to the mall on weekends most of the year - even more so at Christmas time. I got home with plenty of time before Live Free or Die Hard started, but I wasn't really hungry for chicken wings.
So I put my wings plans on hold and had some cheese curls instead. While watching the movie I wrapped a couple presents and put a few things in Beth's stocking.
I went to bed at around midnight (after watching two episodes of "The Grizzly Man Diaries") and actually managed to fall asleep fairly quickly. Up this morning at 8:30, I fixed some bacon and eggs for breakfast and watched some previews of this afternoon's NFL action.
When I went out to the car to go to church, I realized that we had some freezing rain last night that needed to be scraped off my windshield. I'm definitely not doing anything outside today.
After church, I decided I would take things easy again today. I ate another Italian sausage for lunch and finished off the rest of the vegetables that I had grilled yesterday. Now I think I'm just going to flip between football games on the TV for this afternoon and maybe do some shopping. We'll see. I worked pretty hard yesterday, it'll be nice to make this a day of rest.
So I put my wings plans on hold and had some cheese curls instead. While watching the movie I wrapped a couple presents and put a few things in Beth's stocking.
I went to bed at around midnight (after watching two episodes of "The Grizzly Man Diaries") and actually managed to fall asleep fairly quickly. Up this morning at 8:30, I fixed some bacon and eggs for breakfast and watched some previews of this afternoon's NFL action.
When I went out to the car to go to church, I realized that we had some freezing rain last night that needed to be scraped off my windshield. I'm definitely not doing anything outside today.
After church, I decided I would take things easy again today. I ate another Italian sausage for lunch and finished off the rest of the vegetables that I had grilled yesterday. Now I think I'm just going to flip between football games on the TV for this afternoon and maybe do some shopping. We'll see. I worked pretty hard yesterday, it'll be nice to make this a day of rest.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
A Cold Ride
You wouldn't believe how much work it was to get that shot. Especially since I've never used the timer on my camera before. It also didn't help that I was wearing cycling shoes and nearly wiped out when I struck that pose.
I should also note that in that outfit I wouldn't last long as a ninja since that reflective strip on my chest would make me an easy target for a sniper. But I digress.
Finally suited up and ready to go I went about the business of topping off the air in my tires when I noticed my rear tire was completely flat. Which made me wonder exactly when it went flat, since the last fifteen minutes or so of my trainer ride yesterday seemed a little herky-jerky (i.e. I was pedalling squares).
Regardless of how it got there, the flat needed to be fixed. Which I did. Then I got my bike outside, closed the garage door, reset the trip distance and time on the computer and set off. Or at least I tried to set off. For some reason my bike was not pedaling. Something was amiss with my drivetrain.
So I stopped, checked it out, and found this:
That's my chain doing a figure eight. It got crossed when I put the rear wheel back on incorrectly. Really, really incorrectly. Fortunately, it was a quick fix so I took care of it and then I was off.
Or, at least I thought I was off. Just after I left our development I noticed my feet were somewhat cold. I forgot my windproof shoe covers. And if my feet are cold now they're going to be really cold later. So I went back and got my shoe covers.
Then I was off. And really, it wasn't too bad. It was around 38 degrees out, which is only two degrees below my normal minimum. I'm thinking I might drop that minimum to 32. I rode over 16 miles and while it went slow, since my legs were tired from this morning and I was suited up with a couple extra pounds of cold protection, it was a pretty good ride.
By the time I got home at nearly 4:00 I was starving. So I crushed a Clif Builder's Bar before my shower, then once I was clean I started dinner. Shrimp wrapped in bacon with steamed broccoli and carrots.
Look good? It was. Could have used some spices with the shrimp (and I probably should have used raw shrimp instead of steamed shrimp before cooking), but I liked it. Too bad Beth doesn't like bacon, we could eat this more often.
Now I'm off to do some Christmas shopping, then chill out this evening with some chicken wings and Live Free or Die Hard on TV tonight.
What have I done?
Last night after writing my post, I decided to mess around with the color scheme on my blog. I think of my "team" colors as red, black and white (mostly because those are the colors on my bike), so I thought it would be appropriate for my blog to match those colors.
What I didn't intend to do is change my header photo. Actually, I did - but I couldn't find a suitable replacement, so I decided to leave it how it was. You probably noticed that the header photo is gone. Because it disappeared. I don't know why.
That pretty much ate up all the time I had planned before bed, but I still wanted to do some reading. So I did. Around midnight I turned out the light and tried to sleep. I couldn't. So I read some more. It was finally around 1:30 before I finally was out for the night.
This of course meant that I got up later than expected - around 9:30. I was shooting for 8-ish, but didn't want to set my alarm for a Saturday, that would be ridiculous! I got going on my run after a morning shooter (watered down juice and a half scoop of whey protein). It was cold.
I finished my 7.1 miles in 1:13, a little slower than I would have liked, but I stopped a couple minutes to help a kid on his bike who had gotten lost. The good news is that the tendinitis in my foot feels pretty much healed. This was the best "long" run I've had since the marathon in May.
I had hoped to be back out on my bike by around 1:00, but seeing how it's just 12:30 now, and I just finished my lunch of italian sausage with onions and grilled potatoes, mushrooms and zucchini on the side (I took the sausage out of the freezer last night - the vegetables I bought yesterday), I'm now thinking that time might be closer to 2:00. Which I guess is fine, since that should be the warmest time of day.
What I didn't intend to do is change my header photo. Actually, I did - but I couldn't find a suitable replacement, so I decided to leave it how it was. You probably noticed that the header photo is gone. Because it disappeared. I don't know why.
That pretty much ate up all the time I had planned before bed, but I still wanted to do some reading. So I did. Around midnight I turned out the light and tried to sleep. I couldn't. So I read some more. It was finally around 1:30 before I finally was out for the night.
This of course meant that I got up later than expected - around 9:30. I was shooting for 8-ish, but didn't want to set my alarm for a Saturday, that would be ridiculous! I got going on my run after a morning shooter (watered down juice and a half scoop of whey protein). It was cold.
I finished my 7.1 miles in 1:13, a little slower than I would have liked, but I stopped a couple minutes to help a kid on his bike who had gotten lost. The good news is that the tendinitis in my foot feels pretty much healed. This was the best "long" run I've had since the marathon in May.
I had hoped to be back out on my bike by around 1:00, but seeing how it's just 12:30 now, and I just finished my lunch of italian sausage with onions and grilled potatoes, mushrooms and zucchini on the side (I took the sausage out of the freezer last night - the vegetables I bought yesterday), I'm now thinking that time might be closer to 2:00. Which I guess is fine, since that should be the warmest time of day.
Friday, December 11, 2009
On My Own: Taking Stock and Stocking Up
Today I got home to an empty house (as I usually do, since Beth and Adele usually get home about a half hour after I do), and immediately went on autopilot. I headed upstairs and started dallying on Facebook, reading blogs and checking the weather (it's supposed to rain Sunday - boo).
I knew I had planned to do about 45 minutes on the trainer before dinner, but like I said, autopilot clicked in. I snapped out of it after almost an hour (I might have played some games on Candystand as well) and then scrambled to get dressed and set up for my first trainer ride of the winter.
I put on my Syracuse jersey (in honor of the victory over the Florida Gators last night), filled my water bottle, and was about to head to the garage when I realized that the battery in my mp3 player was dead. How does a battery die without being used? No problem we have TONS of batteries in the battery drawer. So I opened the drawer and found exactly 0 AAA batteries. We had plenty AA, C, D and even 9-volt, but no AAA.
So I stole a battery out of our DVD player remote and put AAA batteries on my grocery list:
So finally, well after 6:30 I got my bike set up and I was ready to go:
See how bare that wall is in the garage? All of the walls in our garage are like that. Really. No, really. Okay, not really. I actually had to move stuff to get a picture that clean.
I also have a unique set up on my handlebars when I ride indoors. You'll notice my regular cycling computer on the right, and my Garmin Forerunner 305 on the left. You will also notice a cycling glove giving a little extra thickness to the handlebar. They're really uncomfortable gloves, so that's what I use them for.
I managed a solid 45 minutes on the trainer today. Normally my rear end can't handle that much on my first trainer ride of the winter, but I think my new saddle, the Sette Lynx, made it a little easier. Not bad for a $30 upgrade.
After the ride I drank some chocolate milk, showered and grabbed my shopping list for the weekend and headed to the store. I decided to go to the Giant with a Chinese restaurant in it, so I could grab some Chinese for dinner and eat it once I got home. Unfortunately, the Chinese restaurant closes at 8:00, so I was out of luck. Fortunately, there was a Quiznos on my way home.
As promised, I picked up a lot of meat.
You can see the meat of four different animals there (pig, turkey, chicken & shrimp). Conspicuously absent is cow. But I got that at Quiznos, so it's all good.
Not that you can tell from this picture.
You'll notice the chicken is in wing form. I plan on taking on the bold adventure of cooking my own wings tomorrow. I took the coward's way out and bought the sauce in a jar, rather than make my own. But I also got some tabasco in case I need to push them up a few more units on the Scoville scale.
It's almost 10:00 and I'm done blogging. So maybe a few more games on Candystand, reading some Patrick O'Brian and then to bed.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Left to My Own Devices
This weekend Beth is heading up to North-Eastern Pennsylvania for her annual cookie/craft/whatever else girls do -fest with her best friend Jamie. And she's taking Adele with her, leaving me spouse-less and kid-less for the whole weekend.
Which means I can do pretty much anything I want for three days. Well, only about two - since I have to work Friday. (I guess I don't really have to work Friday...who am I kidding? I'll be working Friday.)
One thing I'll do is blog - in fact, I think I'll blog the whole weekend through. Not continuously because eventually I would resort to typing, "blah blah blah blah blah" because really I don't have that much to say. But there will be lots I'll be doing that I can blog about while, err...make that immediately after I do them.
I haven't exactly figured out what I'm doing this weekend, except I do know that it will include a seven-mile run (boring), at least one very cold bike ride (interesting...) and meat (very interesting). I will probably mix in some Christmas shopping, television and bill-paying too. And cheese curls. And meat.
So I'll be posting periodically - with pictures (note to self: make sure camera battery is charged) all weekend.
Which means I can do pretty much anything I want for three days. Well, only about two - since I have to work Friday. (I guess I don't really have to work Friday...who am I kidding? I'll be working Friday.)
One thing I'll do is blog - in fact, I think I'll blog the whole weekend through. Not continuously because eventually I would resort to typing, "blah blah blah blah blah" because really I don't have that much to say. But there will be lots I'll be doing that I can blog about while, err...make that immediately after I do them.
I haven't exactly figured out what I'm doing this weekend, except I do know that it will include a seven-mile run (boring), at least one very cold bike ride (interesting...) and meat (very interesting). I will probably mix in some Christmas shopping, television and bill-paying too. And cheese curls. And meat.
So I'll be posting periodically - with pictures (note to self: make sure camera battery is charged) all weekend.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Book Review: Core Performance Endurance by Mark Verstegen and Peter Williams
Since taking up running and cycling, I've been trying to find the right workout program to maximize my speed and endurance. I started with the original Core Performance and also picked up some of the Men's Health books, for information.
If you hop on any running or cycling message board, you can probably find a thread debating the benefits of strength training in endurance sports. (I mean, you don't run with your arms do you?) And there are books that minimize the need of strength (and even speed) training in endurance sports. (See The Maffetone Method or Breakthrough Triathlon Training, which I both recommend by the way.)
Over the last several months, I have dedicated more time to strength training and have ultimately decided that it helps. It has definitely helped my speed. I'm not so sure about endurance, since I'm still bouncing back from this foot injury, but I can tell that the extra cross-training has at least helped me maintain my speed even after two months without running at all.
However, this was only after I spent last spring building my aerobic base and focusing on "junk" miles over fartleks, intervals and hills.
What I've learned about workout programs is that usually only one won't work for you. Everybody's different, and while there are good workout programs out there, it's incredibly difficult to stick to a day-by-day workout guide while maintaining interest and avoiding a fitness plateau. So it's important to have a library of resources for you to reference.
The Core Performance Endurance, will make a great piece in that library. Yes, it appears to be largely focused on using weights, working your core and improving flexibility. But it also devotes large sections on nutrition, attitude and proper rest.
Before reading this book, I only had a vague idea of how much protein I really needed, and now I realize that I probably haven't been getting enough and have even begun supplementing with Whey Protein and mixing in some high-protein Clif Builder Bars with my usual snack arsenal of Clif Bars, Clif Mojo Bars and various Kashi snacks.
I've also learned that when it's time to train, it's more than just endurance, speed and strength. It's also training your nervous system so you can stay upright on unstable trails or when you need to avoid a piece of road debris on your bike.
Overall, I think Core Performance Endurance will make a great piece in the library of anyone who takes their endurance training seriously. The principles and moves are easy enough for the unsteady beginning, but the progression of the exercises as well as the information this volume contains is of value to even seasoned veterans. (And it can also make a great Christmas gift.)
If you hop on any running or cycling message board, you can probably find a thread debating the benefits of strength training in endurance sports. (I mean, you don't run with your arms do you?) And there are books that minimize the need of strength (and even speed) training in endurance sports. (See The Maffetone Method or Breakthrough Triathlon Training, which I both recommend by the way.)
Over the last several months, I have dedicated more time to strength training and have ultimately decided that it helps. It has definitely helped my speed. I'm not so sure about endurance, since I'm still bouncing back from this foot injury, but I can tell that the extra cross-training has at least helped me maintain my speed even after two months without running at all.
However, this was only after I spent last spring building my aerobic base and focusing on "junk" miles over fartleks, intervals and hills.
What I've learned about workout programs is that usually only one won't work for you. Everybody's different, and while there are good workout programs out there, it's incredibly difficult to stick to a day-by-day workout guide while maintaining interest and avoiding a fitness plateau. So it's important to have a library of resources for you to reference.
The Core Performance Endurance, will make a great piece in that library. Yes, it appears to be largely focused on using weights, working your core and improving flexibility. But it also devotes large sections on nutrition, attitude and proper rest.
Before reading this book, I only had a vague idea of how much protein I really needed, and now I realize that I probably haven't been getting enough and have even begun supplementing with Whey Protein and mixing in some high-protein Clif Builder Bars with my usual snack arsenal of Clif Bars, Clif Mojo Bars and various Kashi snacks.
I've also learned that when it's time to train, it's more than just endurance, speed and strength. It's also training your nervous system so you can stay upright on unstable trails or when you need to avoid a piece of road debris on your bike.
Overall, I think Core Performance Endurance will make a great piece in the library of anyone who takes their endurance training seriously. The principles and moves are easy enough for the unsteady beginning, but the progression of the exercises as well as the information this volume contains is of value to even seasoned veterans. (And it can also make a great Christmas gift.)
Also see Core Performance Golf, if you're not so into endurance training (available December 22), or the original if you don't need or want sport-specific training:
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Long Run
Before I get started I wanted to divert your attention to the link in the sidebar. I'm a couple days late on this, but Amazon Music is having their "12 days of Christmas" with specials on Christmas Albums and some exciting prizes. Today the special is Bob Dylan's Christmas in the Heart (at least for the next few hours, but Wednesday's special is just as good - some might say better). Check back everyday for new specials and sweepstakes.
The cornerstone of marathon (or ultramarathon) training is the weekly (sometimes bi-or tri- weekly) long run. When I'm building up my mileage, I add one mile to my long run each week, then once I hit ten miles I start adding two every two weeks. Once I reach twenty miles, I'll add three every third week until I've reached the distance I need for the appropriate race or I get injured.
I've long grown accustomed to my long runs being at least bi-weekly. But I'm coming back from this injury slowly, so I'm in stage 1 - adding a mile every week.
On Saturday I ran six miles. Not long ago, that distance was nothing to me. Six miles? I'll jog backwards. (Not really.) Six miles? I'll do it twice. Six miles? No, I don't need to bring any water with me. But this time, it felt like a long run. I was actually tired when I finished. The last mile seemed to drag on.
That's when it struck me that this was my longest run since May 17. And time-wise, it was longer than any bike ride I've been on since November 1 (not that I've been on many bike rides in that time). It's amazing what a little time off will do to you.
Really though, it wasn't that long ago that I thought six miles was an impossible distance to run. In college I had no concept of what running was really about and I was amazed by anyone who could go further than a 5K. The idea of running six miles, let alone a marathon...let alone an ultramarathon was something left to real athletes, not something that a slightly overweight lover of chicken wings does.
But now the long run isn't only an essential part of my endurance training, it's also my favorite part (possibly second to the long bike ride, depending on the weather). It's on the long run that you feel like you're really going somewhere. Whether it's loops at a state park, and out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail, or a tour of neighboring towns with stop offs at gas stations and drug stores to refuel. The long run is great way to see as much as you can out there.
The cornerstone of marathon (or ultramarathon) training is the weekly (sometimes bi-or tri- weekly) long run. When I'm building up my mileage, I add one mile to my long run each week, then once I hit ten miles I start adding two every two weeks. Once I reach twenty miles, I'll add three every third week until I've reached the distance I need for the appropriate race or I get injured.
I've long grown accustomed to my long runs being at least bi-weekly. But I'm coming back from this injury slowly, so I'm in stage 1 - adding a mile every week.
On Saturday I ran six miles. Not long ago, that distance was nothing to me. Six miles? I'll jog backwards. (Not really.) Six miles? I'll do it twice. Six miles? No, I don't need to bring any water with me. But this time, it felt like a long run. I was actually tired when I finished. The last mile seemed to drag on.
That's when it struck me that this was my longest run since May 17. And time-wise, it was longer than any bike ride I've been on since November 1 (not that I've been on many bike rides in that time). It's amazing what a little time off will do to you.
Really though, it wasn't that long ago that I thought six miles was an impossible distance to run. In college I had no concept of what running was really about and I was amazed by anyone who could go further than a 5K. The idea of running six miles, let alone a marathon...let alone an ultramarathon was something left to real athletes, not something that a slightly overweight lover of chicken wings does.
But now the long run isn't only an essential part of my endurance training, it's also my favorite part (possibly second to the long bike ride, depending on the weather). It's on the long run that you feel like you're really going somewhere. Whether it's loops at a state park, and out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail, or a tour of neighboring towns with stop offs at gas stations and drug stores to refuel. The long run is great way to see as much as you can out there.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Heavy Artillery
I've had a problem with migraines my whole life. At least since I was about 10 or so. I don't get them like some people where they last for three days, I just get them and usually they are gone by the next day. But that doesn't mean I haven't learned a few tricks to get rid of them.
Thursday night I felt a headache coming on (personally, I blame it on Darelle Revis). Typically, the best thing for a headache is sleep, so rather than take anything, I just let it go and figured I'd feel better when I woke up. I figured wrong.
I woke up Friday morning with my head throbbing, so I knew this was no lightweight. Normally, I'd take an Excedrine to see if it would help before reaching for the big guns. But since this one lasted overnight I reached straight for the Imitrex. My insurance doesn't cover it, so it's about $7 a dose. But when I have a migraine it's so worth it. It works in about 20 minutes - about 90% of the time.
This was the other 10%. I went to work expecting it to kick in at any moment. I drank coffee - usually the caffeine helps. I drank more coffee. I drank more coffee.
Three cups of coffee and it was still lingering. But it was fading. It felt better when my mind was on something else. Around 11:00 I headed downstairs for another weapon in my headache aresenal. Mountain Dew.
By the time I finished the can of Dew I was feeling considerably better. We had our annual holiday luncheon at work, so we got a nice 2-hour lunch which gave me time to chill out for a while - which may have set me back. Unfortunately something (caffeine?) was wearing off and I could feel the headache trying to make a comeback.
Time to crush this headache's dream of ruining my day. I went back to the lunchroom and bought a Red Bull. Sweet, sweet Red Bull.
That was the knockout punch. I might have taken a dose of prescription medicine and about 400 milligrams of caffeine, but I was determined to start the weekend headache-free.
Thursday night I felt a headache coming on (personally, I blame it on Darelle Revis). Typically, the best thing for a headache is sleep, so rather than take anything, I just let it go and figured I'd feel better when I woke up. I figured wrong.
I woke up Friday morning with my head throbbing, so I knew this was no lightweight. Normally, I'd take an Excedrine to see if it would help before reaching for the big guns. But since this one lasted overnight I reached straight for the Imitrex. My insurance doesn't cover it, so it's about $7 a dose. But when I have a migraine it's so worth it. It works in about 20 minutes - about 90% of the time.
This was the other 10%. I went to work expecting it to kick in at any moment. I drank coffee - usually the caffeine helps. I drank more coffee. I drank more coffee.
Three cups of coffee and it was still lingering. But it was fading. It felt better when my mind was on something else. Around 11:00 I headed downstairs for another weapon in my headache aresenal. Mountain Dew.
By the time I finished the can of Dew I was feeling considerably better. We had our annual holiday luncheon at work, so we got a nice 2-hour lunch which gave me time to chill out for a while - which may have set me back. Unfortunately something (caffeine?) was wearing off and I could feel the headache trying to make a comeback.
Time to crush this headache's dream of ruining my day. I went back to the lunchroom and bought a Red Bull. Sweet, sweet Red Bull.
That was the knockout punch. I might have taken a dose of prescription medicine and about 400 milligrams of caffeine, but I was determined to start the weekend headache-free.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Some Christmas Inspiration
When you're at home with a sick baby, you have time to watch a little TV. I caught this video on Sportscenter yesterday morning and thought it was pretty amazing.
What blows my mind is the thought of knowing you were losing your eyes. There was a date set for the surgery when Jake would officially be blind. He had to be completely prepared to know that one day he will see, and the next day he will not.
Losing a foot? Buy a prosthetic. A hand? Difficult, but I could get around it. Your eyes? That's tough. There's a huge learning curve in dealing with that, and Jake went through it with a pretty mature and positive attitude. A pretty neat story.
What blows my mind is the thought of knowing you were losing your eyes. There was a date set for the surgery when Jake would officially be blind. He had to be completely prepared to know that one day he will see, and the next day he will not.
Losing a foot? Buy a prosthetic. A hand? Difficult, but I could get around it. Your eyes? That's tough. There's a huge learning curve in dealing with that, and Jake went through it with a pretty mature and positive attitude. A pretty neat story.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
No More Bonus Days
Where I work we have a neat little benefit to keep people from using up their sick time. If we use less than five sick days in a given year, we get a bonus vacation day the next year.
Every year (except one - and then just barely) since I was hired, I've earned my bonus day. People would say "just wait until you have a kid in daycare, it all changes then."
Pshaw! I would think to myself. I have a great immune system, I was almost never sick as a kid surely my child will inherit my superior immune system.
Then came Adele. She's only been sick a couple times, and until now it was when Beth was still on maternity leave. But now that Beth has had to use up a bunch of sick time for her maternity leave, I have to do my share when the baby's sick.
Adele came down with a nasty cold (that she got from me - it wasn't as nasty when I had it) on Saturday and it peaked yesterday when Beth stayed home with her. She's had some major congestion and has been throwing up much of what she's been fed. Her temperature only spiked briefly over 100, so we're thankful for that. The doctor said it's just a cold, and she could get 8-10 of them a year. Good-bye bonus day.
Today was my day to stay home with her and before Beth even left in the morning she had thrown up twice and was in her third outfit for the day.
To say it's hard to get anything done with a child at home is an understatement. I had hoped to do laundry, blog, do a little church business and maybe play some online games. Well, I got the laundry started at around 5:00 when Adele was sleeping in her swing (half an hour before Beth got home), and as for everything else - I got to play some online games, because I only needed one hand for that. (I don't have the patience to type with one hand.)
With the two days I took for strep throat in January, and the three sick days I took when Adele was born (I also used 5 vacation days), I have now used six sick days this year. Looks like the bonus day is going to be a thing of the past for me.
Every year (except one - and then just barely) since I was hired, I've earned my bonus day. People would say "just wait until you have a kid in daycare, it all changes then."
Pshaw! I would think to myself. I have a great immune system, I was almost never sick as a kid surely my child will inherit my superior immune system.
Then came Adele. She's only been sick a couple times, and until now it was when Beth was still on maternity leave. But now that Beth has had to use up a bunch of sick time for her maternity leave, I have to do my share when the baby's sick.
Adele came down with a nasty cold (that she got from me - it wasn't as nasty when I had it) on Saturday and it peaked yesterday when Beth stayed home with her. She's had some major congestion and has been throwing up much of what she's been fed. Her temperature only spiked briefly over 100, so we're thankful for that. The doctor said it's just a cold, and she could get 8-10 of them a year. Good-bye bonus day.
Today was my day to stay home with her and before Beth even left in the morning she had thrown up twice and was in her third outfit for the day.
To say it's hard to get anything done with a child at home is an understatement. I had hoped to do laundry, blog, do a little church business and maybe play some online games. Well, I got the laundry started at around 5:00 when Adele was sleeping in her swing (half an hour before Beth got home), and as for everything else - I got to play some online games, because I only needed one hand for that. (I don't have the patience to type with one hand.)
With the two days I took for strep throat in January, and the three sick days I took when Adele was born (I also used 5 vacation days), I have now used six sick days this year. Looks like the bonus day is going to be a thing of the past for me.
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