2008/2009 Training Season - Week 1

I have noticed that the simple act of writing down my training plan makes it far more likely I will do it, so here is my idea. Each week I will post my coming week's running schedule on this blog, thereby shaming myself into actually getting out there and completing it. As the week goes on, I will update the post and fill in whether or not I did what I said I was going to. I have also added a cumulative running log to the LHS of my blog to track this season's endeavors. So keep a careful eye on me oh faithful reader, but be warned - I am sneaky and cunning. If I miss a day, I have access to an arsenal of wonderfully creative excuses, so feel free to heckle me mercilessly.

Saturday 8/30/2008
road - 5 miles (RRFit). Done - 38:03 (7:37 pace)

Sunday 8/31/2008
trail - Ken's Loop (6 miles). Done - easy paced with Paul and Gordon.
road - Lake Pflugerville (3 miles). Done - slow jog with Nancy.

Monday 9/1/2008
Crew Nancy for her Olympic triathlon. Done - she did great.
Yoga. Done - did a "Hot Yoga" class. Enjoyed it.
50 pushups. Done.

Tuesday 9/2/2008
am - road - 6 miles. Done - 52:48 (need to get the dog back in shape)
pm - road - hill repeats. Done - 6 repeats on Bluff Canyon

Wednesday 9/3/2008
am - trail - 6 miles. Done - 6 miles at Walnut Creek w/Clea
pm - road - easy 4 miles. Done - downtown w/Nancy and Jeff

Thursday 9/4/2008
pm - core workout. Done - did Ron Perry workout

Friday 9/5/2008
Rest

101 Not Out

Well I'm home. It's odd but every time I go away for the week, Gavin seems to have grown. Needless to say I'm very happy to be back.

So happy that I decided to get the pushup challenge out of the way and go for the 100 today. It made sense to get it over with before getting into my running this weekend.

So I started off and my arms felt a little tired from yesterday, but once I hit 10 I found a rhythm. That carried me through 25 (quarter of a way there) and before I knew it I was passing 40 and then 50 - over halfway. I was still feeling good as I passed 70 (my previous best) and once I got up to 80, I knew I was going to do it (only 20 more to go). Things got a little harder once I passed 90 - I guess my arms suddenly woke up and realized what I was doing to them - but I hit that magic triple digits, and did one more for good luck before collapsing.

Needless to say, I was very happy with myself. Big thank you to Steve for coming up with the hundred pushups website in the first place, and for all his encouragement along the way. I can now proudly display my "I did the 100" banner.

We're off to celebrate at the Red Robin.

Last Day of the Pushup Challenge

Pushup Challenge : Week 6 day 3
Plan : 27, 27, 23, 23, 23, 23, 20, 20, at least 56
Acual : 27, 27, 23, 23, 23, 23, 20, 20, 56

Just a quick post to celebrate the fact that I've just completed all 6 weeks of the pushup challenge without any repeats. All that's left to do is the final challenge - can I do 100 of them in one go? Come back in a few days time and find out.

Last evening in Dallas - I'm off to the pool.

Run Rage

I ran hard on the treadmill tonight, and I ran fast (for me) - I did a mile in 5:58. Here's a good tip - if you want to run fast, run angry. I did something this evening I thought was impossible and picked a fight with a project manager I've never met back in Austin whilst still in Dallas. I have nothing against project managers - I spend a good portion of my time being one - but his toys came out of the pram, petulantly aimed at one of my customers and one of my folks for doing something I'd asked her to do without telling him first. Nothing is guaranteed to get my back up more quickly than bully boy tactics, and I sent his toys flying straight back at him. I spend so much of my time trying to change my clients' low opinion of IT folks it's frustrating when this kind of thing happens. I ended up telling him he needed to come talk to me when I get back next week. Should be an interesting meeting.

Maybe I should calm down beforehand though, and the perfect opportunity has presented itself with Monday's Free Day of Yoga. Studios throughout Austin are offering free classes - I haven't been to a live class for nearly a year, so I may just go along to one. Don't think I'll be going here though.

Just watched old Bill Clinton's speech at the Democratic convention. I have to say, whether you love him or hate him, the guy is still amazingly charismatic. When he was President, we loved him back in Britain (just like the Americans loved Maggie Thatcher and Tony Blair I guess).

Summer Sunsets of the Soul

Pushup Challenge : Week 6 day 2
Plan : 30, 30, 25, 25, 25, 25, 22, 22, at least 56
Actual : 30, 30, 25, 25, 25, 25, 22, 22, 56

I'm sitting by the window in my hotel room in Dallas watching one of those late summer sunsets that takes your breath away. The sun is about to drop below the horizon beyond the Interstate and is a huge red ball in the sky. From time to time birds glide and fly in front of it and are briefly silhouetted in its glow. Watching from my vantage point as the city crawls home beneath it is very uplifting. I was lucky enough to witness the same glorious spectacle while driving up yesterday evening, and to me it signifies the coming onset of Autumn. And that definitely makes me happy.

I've had a very pleasant evening. I got back to the room and got the pushup challenge out of the way (I did 260 pushups tonight - how????) and then took my book and headed off to the fitness room. Did a good 45 minutes on the bike and headed outside for a swim/relaxing float in the pool. Then I dried off on one of the loungers while listening to jazz music softly piped through the outdoor speakers. Having worked up an appetite, I strapped on the snout and trotters, attached the curly tail and headed off to the Chinese buffet. They have the absolute best Crab Rangoon - I think I ate about 5 of them and am now suitably stuffed and happy. At least I didn't spot Saddam this time.

I am currently reading "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" - John Berendt's almost-poetic ramble through the eccentric characters of Savannah, Georgia. Much of the book is intertwined with the music of Johnny Mercer and evokes old world Southern Gothic imagery in a style similar to Anne Rice's New Orleans. This is a book I've been wanting to read for some time, and so far it's not letting me down.

And speaking of books, I talked to Nancy on the phone tonight and she told me the Karnaze book has arrived. Apparently she is enjoying it. Hope she finishes it by the time I get home otherwise I'm going to steal it!!!

Running on Empty

Pushup Challenge : Week 6 Day 1
Plan : 56, 45, 42, 40, at least 56
Actual : 56, 45, 42, 40, 56

Round Rock Fit kicked off again yesterday and I was up at Old Settlers' Park bright and early to help get everything organized. It was good to see some old friends but there were also a lot of new faces. We had registration, a lecture and a time trial to determine which pace group folks would drop into. Part of my job was to take the groups out, so I ended up running the 3 mile loop several times. The first time I went out with some fast guys, stopped at the turnaround and handed out water to the other runners before doing sweep behind the group. The last run was my favorite - there were about 8 people in this group and they were all around the same pace (roughly 10 minute mile). We chatted the whole way out, and then I waited at the turnaround for one girl who had dropped slightly off the pace and ran back with her. I could tell she was struggling so I kept up the conversation to keep her mind off running. We nattered away about everything and nothing for the whole 1.5 miles back and before she knew it we were done. She thanked me for getting her round and said she'd enjoyed running with me. I told her to stick with it because it would only get easier from here on. This is why I like doing this coaching lark - it is very rewarding to help people through these initial humps, and then see them a few months later running 10 miles.

This morning I got up (way too) early to run Ken's loop and was amazed to see a fast flowing river where not a few weeks ago there was a dry riverbed. I guess we've had more rain than I thought. I had a reasonably good run but my "nemesis" hill had its revenge on me. I was determined to really drill it so I pretty much sprinted up the damn thing. By the time I got to the top my legs had turned to rubber and didn't recover for the rest of the run. I suddenly realized I still had a 7 mile road run to do before going home. Whoops - not the smartest move.

So I drove downtown to meet up with some of the boys from work. There were 5 of us, three of whom were doing a 5k distance and James and myself who were doing 7 miles. We all ran together for the first mile or so before I directed the 5k guys to their cutoff and we carried on Northward. James is another British guy and a really fast runner. We were going at a fairly steady 8 minute mile pace when I realized that the tank was dry - I tried to push into the extra gear only to discover there wasn't one. That isn't a nice feeling and hasn't happened to me that often. My pace kept dropping off and we ended up walking the last portion of the run. Oh well, I guess these things happen. I'm thinking it was a combination of my earlier trail run, some hangover from last week's 50 miler and the high humidity. I've also been feeling crappy and lethargic all week which didn't help. By the time I got home, the only thing I wanted to do was go lie down in the shower. So I did.

This afternoon I had to really force myself to do the pushup challenge. Into the final week and my arms are feeling it. I did 239 pushups today. They were hard (especially the last set) but I am starting to believe I can do the 100.

So here's the big question. Now that my training season has officially started, will I have the motivation to get up at 4am tomorrow morning and run 6 miles? Bets are on.

Finally, commiserations to Carl - the only other Welsh guy I know in Austin. His second attempt at completing a hundred miler ended this morning at Cascade Crest due to vandalism on the course which sent him the wrong way and out of the race somewhere after the 50 mile mark. Apparently he also had an encounter with a mountain lion!!! I bet he'll have some stories to tell though.

Kolache Heaven

I will be travelling up to Dallas again this week, which means I will be passing the good old "Czech Stop" bakery in West, Texas. Nancy and I have always enjoyed stopping off here to sample their delicious and famous Kolaches, so I've been searching for ways to replicate these travel stop treats. The problem was that all the Kolache recipes I found were super high in fat (which is why I try not to stop in West anymore) and filled with fruit, whereas I prefer the sausage filling. So I experimented a little and came up with the following which I think is pretty darn close to the original and super easy to make. The bread is wonderfully soft, infused with the flavor of the Kielbasa sausage and the cheese coats everything perfectly. Enjoy.


Mark's "Wild West" Sausage and Cheese Kolaches
(makes 8 to 10)

Dough
2 to 2.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup warm milk
1 tsp instant yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt

Filling
1 "Healthy Ones" fully cooked skinless Polska Kielbasa sausage (or similar)
Deli sliced Colby Jack or your favorite sliced or shredded cheese
Sliced jalapenos (optional - seeded or otherwise, to taste)

Instructions
In a mixer fitted with the paddle combine yeast, milk, sugar, flour, egg, oil and salt. Once the dough starts to come together knead by hand for 10 minutes. Cover and leave to rise until doubled - about an hour.

Punch it down and break into 8-10 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.

Slice the sausage lengthwise and cut each half into 8-10 pieces.

Flatten each ball of dough into a roughly oval shape. Put 2 pieces of sausage, some cheese and jalapenos into the oval, fold it over and seal. Tuck the two ends underneath and seal also. Place the Kolache seam side down on a crumpled foil lined cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Brush the Kolaches with olive oil or milk before putting them into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

The Circus is in Town

We visited the circus last night and Gavin had a great time. He had never seen elephants or tigers before and everything was new and wondrous. For me, it was slightly different. The ringmaster looked like Apollo Creed, the tiger master like Al Bundy and I really don't like the idea of these proud and majestic animals being paraded around and made to perform silly tricks. I love tigers and it was sad to see. To add to all that, I was feeling pretty rotten - I haven't been feeling great all week, not been sleeping and I was really struggling last night. The clowns were annoying and the acrobats impressive, but to be honest I was glad when it was over.

So we got home around 11pm and I was still feeling nauseous and unable to sleep. My stomach was bothering me, I had a headache and was just miserable. I finally drifted off somewhere in the wee hours only to have a very vivid dream involving my being chased by a rabid dog. Isn't is strange how realistic dreams seem when you're not feeling well? This one was so realistic that I woke myself up with what my wife described as a "little schoolgirl scream". Very embarrasing. I finally woke up this morning feeling the same way but had to make myself go to work because I had some meetings I couldn't miss.

I'm still feeling under the weather this evening, but I had the pushup challenge exhaustion test to get out of the way. Didn't feel that confident going in, but managed to do 70 good form pushups to keep me in the top group going into the final week. Suddenly the 100 pushups doesn't seem that unrealistic.

I'm hoping I can shrug off whatever this is by the weekend because I have a full running program lined up. Round Rock Fit kicks off again on Saturday which marks the start of my official running season. I will be helping to do setup, signing people up and then making sure everyone gets around the 3 mile course.

Then Sunday is a trail run followed by a downtown run with my work group.

Pushup Challenge : Week 5 day 3

Plan : 18, 18, 16, 16, 14, 14, 12, 12, at least 40
Actual : 18, 18, 16, 16, 14, 14, 12, 12, 40

I'm taking a little longer than usual to recover from this weekend's race, not helped by the fact that I had trouble sleeping last night. I guess running all night throws off your body clock - I was really tired, but just lay there tossing and turning for hours.

But I finally made myself get back into the pushup challenge and finished out week 5 with some difficulty. Onward and upward.

Tomorrow we're taking Gavin to the circus for the first time. He's really looking forward to seeing the lions and tigers. Should be a fun trip.

Patriotic Poise and Lucky Boys

Big congratulations to Tom James, the Wrexham rower who won Olympic gold as part of the coxless fours for Britain but flew the flag for Wales. For those of you that don't know, the Welsh flag (along with flags of other non-Olympic member Nations) is banned from the Olympics. All political considerations aside, I'm glad a proud Welshman got to celebrate his golden moment with his Country's flag. Good on you Tom.

A bit closer to home, a few weeks ago I entered a competition on Steve Spiers' website to win a copy of Dean Karnaze's new book 50/50 : Lessons I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days. Well, I got an email from Steve this morning to let me know that I'd won. Fantastic - after finishing "The Perfect Mile" (review pending) I've been looking for some good reading material.

I'm still catching up with my sleep after the all-night race this past weekend, and walking around today was not fun. My legs aren't that sore, but the blisters on my feet are.

And speaking of blisters, those nice folks at Drymax read my recent sock review posting and offered to send me a sampling of their running socks to try out and review. They arrived today along with some technical and promotional literature. They sent me one pair of running, one pair of "hot weather running", three pairs of lite-mesh, one pair of "maximum protection" and a pair of golf. I will put them through their paces on both road and trail for the next month or so and report back.

And with that I'm off to bed, perchance to dream.

Ar Hyd y Nos (All Through the Night)

"Not all those who wander are lost" - JRR Tolkien (printed on the back of the Timber Knoll tech shirt).

I am sitting here with my feet up watching the womens' olympic marathon that I recorded last night (come on Radcliffe, Yelling and Yamauchi). Out of the corner of my eye I can see the spare running shoes and socks that I put out ready to take with me yesterday and forgot. That is why my feet are a mess right now - I have counted at least 8 separate blisters and I suspect at least two toenails are going to part company with me. On the plus side, I ran well enough to knock out 51 miles and finish 4th overall in the Timber Knoll 12 hour race (I finished around 11:45).

Because of the threat of rain and thunderstorms we decided that Nancy and Gavin would stay at home. I drove down to Penernales State Park under strict instructions from Nancy that I would not attempt to drive back before taking a nap in the back of the Explorer. Fingers crossed, I agreed.

Got to the park early, picked up my packet from Brad and wandered around saying hello to friends. The packet had some good stuff in it including a hat, a technical singlet and an LED handheld torch. Just before 7pm, Brad and Joe gathered us all together and explained the course. It was an 8.5 mile loop and first time through we would run it clockwise, then anti-clockwise and so on. The 6 hour and 12 hour runners would start together and right on the dot of 7 we were off.

Quick note of explanation. There is no set distance in these races - it is however many loops you can run in 6 or 12 hours. The terrain is half jeep road and half rocky technical trail. The entire course is hilly.

I found a niche for myself just behind the lead pack and ahead of the main group and felt comfortable, though as usual I probably went out too fast. About 30 minutes into the race, the heavens opened and it felt glorious. If you've never run in the rain, you've missed out on something really special. But because the rain was so heavy, it turned part of the course into a mudbath. In places your shoes would sink into the mud and clumps of it would stick to the bottoms, making them very heavy. Stones and pieces of mud found their way into my shoes and started rubbing my feet raw, but there wasn't much I could do about it. I really need to invest in a good pair of gaiters. This was an ideal course for my Montrail Hardrocks, so it was doubly frustrating that I had forgotten them.

I finished the first loop in 1:21 and started out on the reverse loop - very useful because you can see who is behind you and how close they are. About halfway through this second loop it got dark and I turned on my headlamp. I was wearing my El Scorcho singlet, as was one other guy and the volunteers called us the "El Scorcho" boys (Ryan - a number of folks asked me about your race and were keen to sign up for next year).

Once the rain stopped, it got very humid (although the temperature was a very comfortable 78F). For the rest of the race I noticed something I never thought I would see - my breath fogging (like a cold winter's day) in Texas in August. I'm guessing it was due to the saturated air.

Just before starting loop 4, I stopped to gossip with some "6 hour" friends who had already finished while Brad made me a burrito and some ramen noodles. They were really good and I told him I would run this race again just for the food. Once I set off again I took a wrong turn a few minutes into the loop which dumped me straight back at the start line. Feeling rather stupid I headed out again.

By loop 5 the field had noticeably thinned. Most of the 6 hour folks had finished, and some of the 12 hour runners had given in to sleep. About a mile or so from the end of the loop, a guy caught up with me and recognized me from El Scorcho. Apparently I had caught and blasted past him on the last loop. I didn't remember him, but he sure remembered me. We had a chance to chat for a few minutes before he passed me up.

When I got to the start line, Joe asked me what I'd said to the guy. He had told Joe that I had him worried and he kept talking about having to put some distance between us to negate my finishing kick. I told Joe he needn't have worried because this was going to be a slow last lap for me. Brad joined in and urged me to have a crack at him (since he'd also had a similar conversation) and we could have a good race, but my feet were really hurting and I was really in no condition to do much. I knew I didn't have much of a chance of catching him or Dalton, and Derek was way ahead. By the same token I was far enough ahead of my pursuers not to have to worry about them either. Sure enough it was a painful last loop, and I stopped several times to empty stones and debris from my shoes. I finally hit a rhythm about 3 miles from the end, ignored my blistered feet and turned on the gas to kick to the finish line. The last section seemed to be the longest of the night - every turn I was convinced would lead to the finish line but it kept on going. I eventually finished 4th overall - the first time I've cracked the top 5.

I came in to the finish line, grabbed my camping chair, a bunch of good looking munchies (including some fantastic coffee bean brownies made by Dalton and his wife) and joined the group seated around the timing station. It turns out that my "El Scorcho" rival pulled out a fast loop the last time round - ah the power of motivation.

We all hung out to wait for the last runners and Brad sent out for breakfast burritos. They were super yummy and I had two. Then I helped tear down the tents and do clean up which I think helped prevent any post-race stiffness.

Lessons learned from this run - I had none of the problems I encountered at El Scorcho, I was very well hydrated and my shot bloks and sports beans always gave me a jolt of energy when I needed it. My final time was by far my worst over this distance, but it was on par for this course and the other runners. El Scorcho aside, I haven't run any training run longer than 7 miles for the last month, so I'll take it. All in all a good race. I had some tough moments, but it's good to know I was mentally strong enough to overcome (or ignore) them. That mental drive seems to be my forte and helps make up for my lack of natural running talent. I also ran most of the race by myself and found I enjoyed the solitude. Damn, but my feet are sore though.

PS. Just finished watching the Olympic marathon. Unfortunately, Paula Radcliffe couldn't overcome her injury problems and finished a distant 23rd, obviously in some pain. Still, it was a good race and Constantina Tomescu deserved the victory for her gutsy front running.

1994 : A Year to Remember

I recently found some boxes of old photos and am going through and digitizing them before I lose them. Here are some of the memories that came out of the box for 1994.

This was a year of change. It started on a low note in January when I got a concussion, a cracking black eye and a broken jaw after being kicked and stamped on during a rugby match - eating was not fun for a while. Then in March the Wales rugby team (inspired by Ieuan Evans and Scott Quinnell) confounded the pundits to win the 5 Nations championship playing exciting running rugby. The night they beat France we had one of our most memorable nights out (and one of the last before finals) and did the "Mumbles Mile" (a pint in every pub along the seafront in Mumbles - there are a lot of pubs in Mumbles). Everywhere we went that night was crowded with happy people in party mood. In a rugby mad Country like Wales it's amazing what a good performance by the National rugby side can do for morale. It turned out to be a false dawn as Wales lost every one of their matches the next year, but it was good while it lasted.

One of my best memories of university days was going to Ellingtons jazz club on Thursday nights to see Mike Harries Root Doctors - a New Orleans influenced jazz group from Cardiff. Maybe this is where my love of jazz comes from. It was a small place with a great atmosphere - most of the lighting provided by wax candles in empty spirits bottles - and it served the best dark beer in Swansea. Ellingtons is long gone now, but Mike Harries and his band are still going strong. I have several of their albums and still listen to them.

Finals took place in May, and in July after 3 years of hard partying (and some studying) I graduated from university and moved away from Wales for the first time. In September I started working for a company based in Worcester in the English midlands.


Preparing to watch the San Marino Grand Prix with Twm, Dan and Nudd in the student village at Hendrefoilan. It was to be a tragic afternoon as Formula 1 racing legend Ayrton Senna was killed after crashing into a concrete wall at 190mph early in the race. He was the second fatality of a tragic weekend at Imola that had already seen Roland Ratzenberger killed during practice.


The end of an era - finals are over and we finally have a chance to celebrate the end of our university days. Good chinese food, plenty of beer and good friends on our last night together before going our separate ways.


Dressed up like Batman on graduation day with my dad.


Dada dada dada dada Batman!!!! Again. With my mum.

Preparing some Ultra Nosh

My parents make a dish they call "pastie pie" - it is basically a corned beef hash baked into a pie, and pretty damn tasty too. Tonight I made a slightly jazzed up variation of it as individual pasties. Compact, filling, yummy, portable - I will experiment snacking on them during Saturday night's 12 hour all-nighter with a view to using them at Bandera and Rocky Raccoon. Though they look similar to my wholewheat cornish pasties recipe from a few months ago, they are completely different.

Mark's Ultra Pasties (makes 12)


Crust
2.5 cups all purpose flour
3oz olive oil spread
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
4 tbsp iced water

Filling
1 tin corned beef
2 cloves garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 medium potatoes

Instructions
Peel and chop the potatoes and steam or boil for 30 minutes.
While they are cooking, make the dough for the crust. Combine the flour and mustard powder and cut in the olive oil spread until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix until it all starts to come together. Make into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready.
Preheat the oven to 450F.
Peel and chop the onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened.
Chop the corned beef and add to a mixing bowl along with the potato, onion and garlic. Beat until thoroughly mixed (can also use a food processor).
Roll out the dough and cut into 6" circles (I use my pasta machine and take it all the way down to thickness level 4). Spread the filling on half the circle, moisten the edges with water, fold over and seal. These are great tools that make this part super easy. I got mine in a cookery store in Cardiff but have also seen them sold locally.
Arrange pasties on a baking tray. Before putting into the oven, brush them with milk.
Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for a further 20 minutes.
Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes to allow the crust to soften.
Eat immediately, or wait until cooled and wrap with clear plastic.
Guard against roving spouses and 3 year olds.

In preparation for Saturday I started carb loading tonight with some yummy spicy chinese noodles. Chinese in the sense that I made the sauce out of peanut butter, soy sauce, white vinegar, sugar, garlic and cayenne (for a nice kick). Threw in some stir fried chicken and mushrooms and the result was one yummy carbolicious pasta dish.

Pushup Challenge : week 5 day 2
Plan : 20, 20, 18, 18, 15, 15, 14, at least 40
Actual : 20, 20, 18, 18, 15, 15, 14, 40

The pushup challenge seemed a lot easier tonight. Even though it has progressed to 8 sets with only 45 seconds rest in between, there are less reps. Pushed out 160 and didn't really feel it too much. Confidence is high going into the last day of the penultimate week. Still not sure I'm up to the 100 though.

Laughter - a Great Core Workout

Pushup Challenge : week 5 day 1
Plan : 40, 32, 30, 25, at least 40
Actual : 40, 32, 30, 25, 40

I recently DVRed a yoga show on PBS called "Wai Lana Yoga" and tried it out this evening. To be fair, let me say first up that it was a very good stretching routine (something I could definitely do more of) and I found some of the positions (especially the lotus) challenging. Having said that, part of the difficulty stemmed from the fact that I was shaking with laughter most of the way through. Picture the scene - camera fades in on tropical Hawaiian beach where we find bizarre pseudo-hippy yoga yoda lady, complete with comedy voice and wearing some kind of baggy clown jumpsuit - WTF???? Half way through we fade to fish swimming peacefully and when we get back to bliss beach, she's doing a happy dance. Oh, manna from heaven for this cynical Brit. I can't take it any more. Unable to stop laughing, my abs haven't been this sore in years. Any more of this and I'll have a six pack to rival the one in my fridge.

Classic stuff.

Once I'd recovered from that I had a crack at week 5 of the pushup challenge. Wow, this program has ratcheted up suddenly. I forced myself to grit out the final 40 and just about made it, but it was close. 167 pushups tonight - I think this is going to be a hard week.

We had our Round Rock Fit coaches meeting last night at the Main Street Grill, an upscale restaurant in downtown Round Rock. Wow, that place serves great food. It is located in an old bank and one of the tables is actually inside the old vault - very cool. There were about 15 of us in the group and we shared a whole bunch of yummy appetizers. We filled out and signed all the required paperwork and then socialized. I haven't seen some of these folks since marathon day back in February and it was great to catch up with old friends over a few glasses of red wine. I can't believe the new Round Rock Fit season starts up again in less than two weeks. Happy days.

I See the Boys of Summer

You know it's summertime in Texas when you start dreaming about water. Last night I had a dream about being in the middle of a hot and humid run and finding some wonderfully refreshing ice cold water. Oh bliss, I could almost taste the glorious H2O. The dream replayed itself all night long, the net result being I woke up before my alarm clock needing to pee.

This morning I had a great run at Kens. I treated it as an interval workout and ran hard between stopping at intersections to wait for the rest of the folks. When we got to the scenic overlook I hit my "nemesis" hill as usual only to find that it is no longer the challenge it once was. I was surprised when I got to the top and wasn't even out of breath - my legs used to be reduced to jelly at this point. When we got down to the flats, I asked if anyone wanted to run the trail in reverse and make it a double. Stephanie, Denver and Ben did so we said goodbye to the others and headed back up the hill. This return loop was a lot easier paced and I had a chance to visit a bit more with folks. We got back to the parking lot and it was time to hand over to Nancy. She'd driven over with Gavin and we were going to swap out. She'd been looking for a more challenging bike ride and I'd written out a 10 mile route for her around the Far West hills (rather her than me). I took the Gavster home for breakfast as she headed out.

Did my pushup challenge "end of week 4 exhaustion test" when I got home but could only manage 50 of them, which barely keeps me in the third column for week 5. The 100 still seems a long way off.

Made an Italian feast for supper tonight - a splendiferous lasagna. Layer upon layer of homemade noodle, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, ground turkey, mushroom, bell pepper, onion, garlic and marinara sauce with some homemade French crusty sourdough bread on the side. So wonderful I had to take pictures of it.

And finally, I have a huge weight off my shoulders. Work pressures? Financial woes? Trouble at home? No, I just got a long overdue haircut. I've been needing one for a good month now and kept putting it off, but I finally gave in and got my summer trim. Even the hairdresser commented that I hadn't had my hair cut in a while. By the end there was enough hair on the floor to assemble a small dog. Feel much tidier and more presentable now.

Finally finally, congratulations to fellow Welshie Nicole Cooke - the female Lance Armstrong - for securing Britain's first gold medal in the womens cycling road race.

Book Competition

Steve Spiers, the guy behind websites like hundred pushups, Run Bulldog Run, Cymru66 and "I want a volkswagen bus" is running a competition to win Dean Karnazes new book "50/50 : Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days". Steve is a very talented runner and his websites have some excellent training tips (plus he's another Welsh guy) so take a look and check it out.

I ran 7 miles downtown with Shawn this morning and had a great run. We headed North from Congress, up Speedway to 49th, cut across to Red River, turned right on 38th, ran the evil hill to Duval, came back down through UT, up the hill on San Jacinto to 12th, through the Capital and back up to Congress. I wore my new Asics GT-2120 shoes and they felt great. No blisters.

So the Olympics have started, but one thing we won't be seeing are the flags of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland due to a crazy ruling by the IOC to ban the flags of non-competing countries (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will compete under the banner of Great Britain). Spectators with "unauthorized" flags face having them confiscated and athletes may be disqualified for displaying them. Apparently this is to prevent protesters displaying the flag of Tibet. Good to see the Olympic ideal of freedom and harmony is alive and well.

Ready Set Play

Pushup Challenge : Week 4 day 3
Plan : 30, 22, 22, 20, at least 29
Actual : 30, 22, 22, 20, 50

Felt really good tonight and pulled a great 50 pushups out of the last set to round out week 4. I feel like I'm getting stronger, but I've got another exhaustion test up next before going into week 5 so we'll see.

Nancy and I had the day off today and had great plans for it. We took Gavin to daycare as usual then headed over to Bull Creek to run a loop of Kens. We don't get to run together very often so it was nice to get the chance. We met up with a friend and enjoyed a relaxing run and great start to the day. We picked Gavin up around midday and we all went to Freebirds for lunch. They do fantastic burritos and was a favorite haunt of Nancy's back in her Aggie days.

Then the fun really began. We took Gavin to "Ready Set Play", an inflatable toy playhouse in Round Rock full of bouncy castles, slides and climbing walls. Wow, this was the best $8 we ever spent - we had such a great time and Gavin played himself out. To see the look on his face and the squeals of delight as he came down the slides or climbed the wall was awesome. We were there for over three hours and both Nancy and myself got to play on the slides and bouncy castles too. I will always remember the magic moments when Gavin wanted me to chase him through the obstacles, play in the castle or go down the slides with him, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I don't think there's a better feeling in the world than playing with your little boy, and I'm nothing but a big kid myself. We got home and he fell asleep around 6:30 in Nancy's lap watching the Muppet Movie. I put him in our bed - I suspect he'll be down for the night.

What a great day.

The Olympics - 1908 style

Came across this great article about the 1908 olympics. I particularly liked the bit about the Italian marathon runner who led all the way from the start "with only the odd nip of brandy as a sharpener" but was disqualified after being "helped" over the finish line.

It would be great (though somewhat unlikely) if Britain won 56 gold medals this time around, but I will settle for Paula Radcliffe making it to the start line.

Pushup Challenge : Week 4 day 2

Plan : 27, 21, 21, 18, at least 25
Actual : 27, 21, 21, 18, 30

We're getting there. It doesn't seem to be getting any easier, but I'm still going.

One for the Grandparents

Just got a few photos a mate of mine took from my "bandit run" at the Dr Pepper 10k. Figured some proud grandparents would like these.

Put a Sock in it

Pushup Challenge : Week 4 day 1
Plan : 27, 20, 20, 17, at least 27
Actual : 27, 20, 20, 17, 29

It's official - I found myself on the participants list for the Bandera 100k and the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler. It's kinda strange to see my name on these lists - makes it seem all the more real somehow. I can't believe I'm actually going to attempt to run 100 miles in less than 6 months time.

The Great Sock Review
About a month ago, I set out on a crusade to find the best pair of running socks. Since then, I've been running in my new array of socks and comparing them. I've tested them with different shoes and on varied terrain in a bid to find my favorite. Here are the results:

Asics CoolMax 3-pack : 3 pairs of running socks for less than $9, could they really be any good? Surprisingly the answer is yes. They are soft, comfortable, wick very well, and do a good job. The one concession to price seems to be a pronounced seam in the toe, but it didn't really bother me. Ideal midweek running socks, they would do a good job for weekend long runs too. Unless you're a sock snob.
Price : $8.95 for 3 pairs
Value : 10
Comfort : 6
Rating : 7

Balega Trail Buster : Super stretchy, light, seamless, soft, comfortable. Provides just enough cushioning without being too heavy, I love the Balegas - my feet feel like they are coated in sock royalty!!! They look good too.
Price : $8.95
Value : 8
Comfort : 10
Rating : 9

Drymax Trail Running : Very thick socks, more for winter running as they tend to "squelch" in the summertime. I bet they'd be great running socks for the nighttime portion of Bandera and Rocky Raccoon though. Not a very high rating based on wear so far, but I think they will come into their own in the winter.
Price : $8.95
Value : 7
Comfort : 6
Rating : 6

Injinji Tetrasok : aka the socks with the toes. You either love them or hate them, and I fall into the latter category. They just feel strange and my toes feel trapped and constricted. I've never had problems with blisters between my toes. If I had, maybe I'd feel differently.
Price : $11.95
Value : 4
Comfort : 6
Rating : 5

Wigwam Ironman Tail Wind Pro : seem a lot more rugged than the triathlon socks and no seams on the toes. They are very comfortable, if a little pricey. Time will tell how well they stand up to the strains of trail running.
Price : $9.50
Value : 6
Comfort : 8
Rating : 7

Wigwam Ironman Triathlon : my long-standing sock. Been running road in these for years, but they don't stand up to trail very well and tend to tear easily. Add in a seam at the toe and heel, and they are average at best.
Price : $6.95
Value : 6
Comfort : 5
Rating : 5

Wrightsock Double Layer Coolmesh : has two layers, but still very light. The inner white lining is super soft and they are wonderful to run in. The moisture wicking works really well and they are very comfortable.
Price : $7.99
Value : 9
Comfort : 10
Rating : 9

The Winners
It's a tie between the Balegas and the Wrightsocks. Both pairs of sock feel wonderful and I don't know which I prefer. Here's the best idea - buy a pair of both and decide for yourself.

The Dog Days

I ran a very hilly 10k training run downtown yesterday morning. As I was driving down at 6am the temperature was already 85F and humid. I guess you know it's Texas summertime when running is a struggle and you wonder where all your fitness has gone. Well the run was hard but manageable - it was good to think of all the junk food I'd eaten this week being purged. I ran relatively slowly (55 minutes), but what with the heat and stopping for traffic at intersections, I wasn't too bothered.

Then this morning Nancy ran Jack's Generic Triathlon at the Texas Ski Ranch, so we had another early start. Gavin and I enjoyed ourselves - we had a picnic and then played in the water where the boy gave his dad a good soaking. Of course, we'd brought a change of clothes for him, but not for me. Oh well, we had a blast anyway. Nancy didn't have such a great time - she struggled on the bike (usually her best event) and wasn't very happy with her time, but hey, it's another finish.

Then this afternoon I started my search for new road shoes. I tried on some New Balance (didn't like them at all), Brooks Adrenaline (very comfortable) and Asics GT-2130 (my favorite - extremely comfortable and they come in a variety of widths). I ended up finding a great deal online for last year's Asics model - the GT-2120. Every review I've read of them was positive, so $60 later they are heading my way. Hope they cure my newly discovered blister problems.

And finally, I am looking forward to trying this recipe for Baked falafel patties with yogurt-tahini sauce from Kalyn's Kitchen. I keep an eye on her blog because I have got a number of excellent dishes from it, including this superb tzatziki recipe.

Back Home

Pushup Challenge : Week 3 day 3
Plan : 30, 22, 22, 20, at least 27
Actual : 30, 22, 22, 20, 30

This was the hardest day of the pushup challenge so far - the first time that I wondered if I would complete them all. But I did and am now officially at the halfway point. I did 124 pushups tonight - bring on week 4. I also realized that I've been cheating myself and only taking 60 seconds break between sets for the last four weeks (day 2 of each week is supposed to get 90 seconds and day 3 gets 120 seconds). That will teach me to read the rules properly.

Anyway, I'm back home in Austin, but not without one of my "idiot" moments this morning. As my hotel room had a fridge, I bought a carton of milk on Monday evening. I figured I'd better finish it off before I left so I grabbed it and took a big swig from the carton. Unfortunately, unknown to me, the fridge was not working and the milk was off - and I mean way off. I ended up with a mouth full of clear liquid and a whole bunch of solid yuck left at the bottom of the carton - nice.

But I had a nice relaxing drive back from Dallas this afternoon. Made pretty good time - just over 3 hours. I put a Patricia Cornwell audiobook in the cd player as I left the parking garage in Dallas and it finished just as I was turning into my neighborhood. It was nice to spend a few days away, and I met a good bunch of folks, but it's nice to be back home too. I'll be headed up there again at the end of August.

And it was nice to find the air conditioner working again. Not so nice to see the $500 bill for fixing it though. Oh well. The DVR is still not quite right - it seems to have developed some kind of timing issue on startup between the backend, the database and the client (I wonder if little fingers have been pressing buttons). I managed to get it up and running by inserting a 30 second delay into its boot up time while I figure out what the problem is (don't see anything in the log, so maybe the database just needs a reorg).

Tomorrow morning I have to get up early to do my run with the work group I'm coaching for the marathon relay. I've split up the groups into 2 runs, and I plan on going out with the 10k group and getting back in time to go out with the 5k group as well.

I also have the coach's meeting with Round Rock Fit coming up in a few weeks at the Main Street Grille in Round Rock. Looking forward to seeing all my friends again, and Main Street put on a really good spread last year. Should be a fun night.

And Sunday I'm back into cheerleading mode as Nancy is doing the Jack's Generic triathlon. It's at the Texas ski ranch and is her favorite triathlon of the year.