Friday, March 14, 2008

Man Down!!!

Painful pills to swallow... Beware... Not my usual goofy/moronic post.. Not that anyone is actually reading this...

Only about 2 weeks until lonestar 1/2 ironman and I'm in a 9 line bind. I've been fighting a popping, shifting, loose right knee and I think its finally gone completely. I visited a Dr. in Angleton (small town) not long after the Longhorn 1/2 IM when this all started. He said I had runners knee, and maybe I did because it went away. The marathon came and went with no pain. Then came the track workouts and a new kind of pain started. The pain that's similar to the first injury when I was 17. Went to the Dr. again this time he calls it arthritis (his solution is to stop running) and gives me an anti-inflammatory.

While in Canada I did a few 1 hour hill runs on the treadmill with no pain. OK, I'm happy now, thinking it gone again. Last Wednesday night at the softball game (after I was hit in the back with a line drive) I was up to bat again, made a little blooper past the short stop, when the right foot landed on first base I felt a "pop".... First thought, "Game over"... limped home that night..

Hoping for the best, I took it easy yesterday (AM & PM) changing my PM bike session to a swim. "No flutter kick for you" the Kick Nazi screams... while in the water I try to water run.. Nope, that dog ain't gonna hunt.. nothing is supposed to hurt in the water, I'm pulling my hair out in frustration... this blows....

So today, I have a late morning meeting on a job site close to my house so I sleep in a bit. The knee is done I know it, walking with a limp is unavoidable. Bending my knee with weight on it shoots pain through my body. Walking up stairs on the job site was difficult...

Well, next week I have another appt with a different Dr. I will bring him my x-rays and MRI hopefully if damage occurred after the MRI there will be some previous sign of it so I don't have to take another...

This carries such an empty feeling with it. Choices are limited this weekend and the weather is supposed to be great. I was planning another bike ride to Manvel for a swim then riding home. Walking up stairs is a challenge thus no riding/swimming/running this weekend...

Man down... Man Down...

No Pacing more, No Hammering more... Just sit and watch others Hammer... uhhhhggggg!!

“To the question whether I am a pessimist or an optimist, I answer that my knowledge is pessimistic, but my willing and hoping are optimistic”

Albert Schweitzer...

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Taking One For The Team

Taking one for the team takes on a different meaning as a person gets older. Last night in the local softball (beer league) your truly took one for the team. First a little bit of background, I have mentioned The Hometown Heroes before in a previous blog, but since I'm the only one reading this and there is time to spare today, I'll mention it again.










The Hometown Heroes is made up of Lake Jackson natives and refugees of all sorts. Although it started off as a group of early 20's ex-jock, college flunkies, and community college goers and me (the elder and possibly one of the least mature of the group). Our theme song was "I wanna Rock" and our mission statement " To wreck homes, family's, good driving records, and GPA's; not as individuals but as a collective group of young men" of which none related to me of course..




Over the past few years some of the faces have changed but there are a few constants we stick with. Like "Fight Club" it's somewhat anonymous. So, Constant #1 no real names are used. Thus, I'm "The Doug" as most nicknames don't stick, this one somehow did. Constant #2 although we obviously have a couple superstars on the team everyone is equal, therefor we're all number one. Constant #3, Even though excessive beer drinking isn't required, it is preferred. Partaking of the sauce isn't my thing, although from time to time its done in protest.



Please excuse the freckles. Last night I took one for the team. Let me set the stage, considering my long ball skills, Doug (batting last in the order) popped a little base hit to center and was sitting on first. So, the Hero's lead off with a lefty who hits a line drive directly at my (Doug's) manhood. So a quick on my toes move put me in the fetal position. Doug's manhood was safe, the ball stayed fair, and little birds and stars were scene moving in a clockwise motion about Doug's noggin... Somehow, Doug got to second fell on the ground and whined like a newborn. Once in the laughter slowed, the shooter on the grassy knoll was nice enough to sign the wound, pat me on the bottom, and let me know that "The Doug"took one for the team like a man...
I slept well knowing the boys weren't let down last night... woo-sah...

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf." -
Tug McGraw, asked whether he preferred grass or Astroturf



Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Aero vs. Professionalism

So the question came up; Is being aero still professional? Is aero a lifestyle choice? Or is it just an excuse to have a bad haircut??

I'm going with the latter. Only kidding, for me personally it fits an aero lifestyle, and its super cheap, kinda like me. Actually the shirt I'm wearing today I've hand since high school, seniors 95' in the house...

My day starts at 3:50am, pack the car with clothes, towels, blah.. Make the coffee, hit the road. I'm at 24hr fitness by 5:00am. I have one hour so I make it count. If I'm feeling froggy I can squeeze in 1:07 min of training, but that's pushing it. Get cleaned up, drive downtown, park, and get to my desk by 6:30am... I don't have an extra 5 min to spend on my hair. So my official stance on the age old conflict is that its a lifestyle choice.

Besides, I'm married w/ child (2nd kid due May 19th) and lets face the truth, who am I trying to impress with a haircut. The fact of the matter is that I'm not all that professional anyway. I know you didn't expect that coming, but its true.

How do women deal with the pressures of hair? Its beyond my feeble mind!!! I'll stick to important topics like Brittney Spears acting career and Midget conflicts on Howard Stern. Mental capacity these days is limited, I have to leave room for recalling my PR's and my race schedule at a moments notice.
Speaking of mental limitations vs. the swimming human body. I set my watch for 1:30 interval to pace myself (and help me keep count) then after a short warm up I got it on... Monday I was able to hang on for a full 2100 yards, and always a second or 2 ahead of the clock. It hurt, but nothing is better than racing the clock. Tuesday, not a swim day but I somehow managed to have an extra 25 min of pool time left after a stationary bike workout. So no warm up, I was pretty warm already. Only time for a quick and dirty 1100. I finished the swim with 27 seconds left on the clock. The swim is going well, now if I could just have a couple new knees I'd be golden...
“Men don’t care what’s on TV. They only care what else is on TV.”[Jerry Seinfeld]

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Picture Blog, Texas style...

Taking pictures while driving, probably not the safest thing... Sunny day with snow on the ground looks good to a Texan.



I guess snow is fun if you only see it once in a blue moon. Really, I gladly shoveled driveways and dug people out and pushed cars... Its fun to a Texan...



Sometime I have fun on my own terms, alcohol isn't needed for this Texan.



OK, even the second and third time a moronic Texan was "Balls to the Wall" with the shovel!

Brrrr.. Don't know if my Texan body has ever been in weather like this.



Nothing is better than a dumb Texan "Roboting" in the snow... Anyone feel the need for a dance off?




Uh... the only time a drunk can drive like a drunk and get away with it...

Obviously a Canadian, I don't know where he gets it from...



Hello Walls....

Priceless... Convincing a bride still in wedding dress to put her finger up her nose for a picture... hahahaha... I'm still laughing about this one...


Pace Less Hammer More...

Robin: "Boy! That was our closest call ever! I have to admit that I was pretty scared!"
Batman: "I wasn't scared in the least."
Robin: "Not at all?"
Batman: "Haven't you noticed how we always escape the vicious ensnarement's of our enemies?"
Robin: "Yeah, because we're smarter than they are!"
Batman: "I like to think it's because our hearts are pure."

Monday, March 10, 2008

long story... short...

So, I bloggage has slowed down a bit these last few week, but I'm back.. Back to normal, as if I was ever normal... The objective right now is to run through the facts only to be backed up with pictures tomorrow. See, my current location is at the Detroit airport and my cable for the camera is in Lake Jackson, Tx... ok lets back track....





a week from today, last Monday I went to the Ortho Dr only to find that my wounding knee troubles are arthritis and his diagnosis is to "stop running" WTF!!! I'm in the best shape of my life, heather and happier than ever and he tells me to break up the Beatles?? nope. so he gives me an anti-inflammatory and tells me of some new methods that have helped others but that aren't approved by the FDA.. HUH.. Confusion set in.. its all good.. I refuse to "mail it in" I'll be doing the 1/2 Iron distance in Galveston the end of the month, NO EXCUSES... 5:30!!!!





Tuesday, business as usual, train hard.. Morning bike, Mid-day run, evening swim....





Wed AM... Flew to Detroit (snow everywhere and cold), drove to Lemington, Ontario for my beloved cousins wedding. She is a cousin technically, but I love her like a sister, were separated by a good distance, but I wouldn't have missed the wedding for anything. Because its the time of year for standardized testing, my wife (and kid) stayed home. She is marring the guy that my wife blames personally for my triathlon addiction (he did Ironman UK last year). This year he will be doing Ironman Louisville, and by the way he trains he isnt "mailing in" anything. We got in a good treadmill run Wed PM and I got to meet his fellow Canadian IM buddies...





Thursday.. Visited relatives.. got in two workouts with my soon to be cousin, a Bike session in the AM and a Hill Run in the PM.. it hurt so good...





Friday.. AM Run, and we were forced to skip the afternoon swim to help with last minute wedding plans... More visiting with relatives in the PM... It started snowing after dark, I like the snow probably because I dont see it much.





Saturday.. AM snow everywhere.. Got to shovel snow for the first time.. I did it as fast as possible, took about an hour and since the wedding was that evening there was no time for training, so my shoveling experience had to do for a workout. Wedding was in the evening, my job was to escort the bride and since it was still snowing she was late to her own wedding.. Sorry Jules... :(





Sunday.. Woke up in Windsor Ontario, at another cousins house, had lunch as was headed back to detroit for my 5pm flight. Yeah Right... it took me over 3 hrs to get back to the airport. Normally, only 35 min.. I missed my flight. I miss my family. Got a hotel closeby... no training today:(





Monday.. juggling my destroyed secedule. going to miss work today as my flight doesnt leave until noon... ahh.. I miss my family.. everytime I speak to my wife I can hear the little guy talking in the background. These days being gone for a few days means I miss something new...





Ok so less than 3 weeks until my 1/2 IM... I CAN NOT miss anymore training.. My swim is better than ever, my bike is stronger that ever, my run is hurting because of the knee stuff. I have 2 weeks to fix that, hopefully without injury.. No excuses, no "mailed in" performances allowed....











Pace less Hammer more!!!

















“It’s not pollution that is hurting the environment, it’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.”[Dan Quayle]