El Signed up for El Scorcho

Signed up this morning for the El Scorcho 50k in Fort Worth. It's a fun race that's held in the middle of Texas summertime and starts at midnight. My friend Ryan is the race director and he's put together a really fun and well organized event.

This year I'm getting a group of friends from Austin together to travel up for it - should be a blast.

So if you're an Austin runner and want to join us, let me know and I'll add you to my distribution list - the more the merrier.

Cities in the Mist

I was out the door before dawn this morning to do a hard long run in the hills around Austin. It was cold and my breath fogged in the light of my headlamp as I ran and climbed up into the hills. As I got to the highest point I turned and was rewarded with a magnificent view of the city below as dawn broke around me.

The buildings of downtown were just visible in the distance through the mist, with the river bisecting the landscape as it snaked toward them. It was beautiful and a magical moment. I managed to get a photo with my phone, but it really doesn't do it justice.

And yes, that road really is that steep - it was much more fun running back down!!!

Little Time, Little Run, Little Rock

Well the Little Rock marathon is just over a week away, and I can safely say that I've never run so little in the build-up to one of these races. You may have noticed my mileage is pretty pathetic so far this year (especially compared to the 2000+ miles I ran in 2009), but I've been careful to manage my niggling foot injury. That seems to have paid dividends as it's doing a lot better, but while I've been doing some fast shorter distances I'm almost certainly lacking in the long distance endurance that regular 15-20 mile runs gives you. Oh well, we'll just get this one out of the way and then I'll have a good few months to build up to the El Scorcho 50k in July, and my main goal races next winter.

The good news is that I seem to have completely rediscovered my enthusiasm and enjoyment for running that has been largely absent since Cactus Rose. Maybe cutting back the mileage wasn't such a bad thing to do!!!

This has been a week in which I started counting calories to get down to my ideal running weight, and during that time I've dropped from 162lbs to 157 - that's 5lbs in 7 days!!! And I haven't made that many changes - mostly dumped my trail mix snacks and swapped out my lunchtime sandwiches for some chicken, Tuna or Greek salad. I found a really great ginger and sesame dressing from Maple Grove Farms in Vermont which is super yummy, and I've been loving it.

Of course, I've also worked out really hard this week on circuit training and yoga, paid my sweat equity on the bike trainer and wrestled Gavin (who is wiry, fast, strong and seems to think he is John Cena).

Baby Dylan also found his feet this week (yes, at 7 months) and has been giving me the run around. He likes to climb, and is almost "terminator-like" in his quest for the tv remote.

The dog is living in fear of him!!!

Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga review

The Biggest Loser: Weight Loss Yoga

More panting than chanting, that's what I'm looking for.

I remember the first time I ever took a yoga class. It was about 7 years ago and was all Nancy's fault - the gym was full one night and she convinced me to do the yoga class with her. I agreed, adding the snide comment "as long as there's no chanting".

Of course, within 5 minutes they were chanting - "hommmmmmmmm"......

But apart from that the class was fun - there were only about 4 people in it, the instructor was cute and she liked me (she thought I was funny and liked my accent). Since then I've done a number of different yoga classes and home dvds which I've found to be an excellent cross training for running since I'm not the most flexible person in the world and am really bad at doing my stretching.

Now I know that some folks are probably going to turn their nose up at the fact that I'm reviewing a "Biggest Loser" dvd, and I can understand that. While Nancy and I do watch the show, I really see it as "reality entertainment" as opposed to anything truly "inspiring" (I love to see how blatantly they worm in plugs for various products), and I think it sets false expectations for the millions of people out there trying to drop weight in the real world (losing 10+lbs a week is neither realistic nor healthy). But there's no denying that when they're not being uber-dramatic the two trainers are really kick ass. And they've produced a number of really good training dvds.

One of the things I like about the "Biggest Loser" series of dvds is that they contain a number of workout segments that you can mix and match to customize your workout.

And you can do that with this dvd which contains 5 sections - yoga levels 1, 2 and 3 plus a warmup and cooldown.

The first thing to mention is that "weight loss yoga" is just a gimmick title - there's really no such thing. Here's a tip - if you're looking to purchase a workout dvd, don't rely on the title - you need to research the content. Read online reviews, check the amazon user comments and watch clips on youtube to ensure it's a match for your capability and end goals.

For example, if you're a yoga purist then stay away from this and go with something from Rodney Yee instead.

But if you're looking for a really good core blaster that fuses yoga, pilates and strength moves to give you a kick ass workout, then read on.

The instructor is "trainer Bob" - the good cop from the Biggest Loser series - and the participants are some of the contestants from the show. This can be good and bad - they are all in various stages of decay which means that you can relate to them much more than the "perfect fitness models" that workout dvds usually contain.

On the other hand, many of them are not displaying good form or doing the moves correctly (and quite frankly, some of them are barely trying). Here's another tip - just keep your eyes on Ali (the girl in the pink top), because she's just freaking awesome.

Bob is very charismatic and explains the moves and progressions very well for the most part. He slips up on a few occasions (and corrects himself at one point), but he too is relatable and motivates you to keep going.

Oh, and there's absolutely no chanting. Which is a very good thing. Here are my summaries of the various sections of the dvd:

Warmup
5 minutes (actual running time 6:20)

I generally don't like to start workouts with static stretches on cold muscles, and was hoping for some more dynamic variations, but these are fairly light stretches. Don't overdo them and you'll be fine.


Yoga level 1
20 minutes (actual running time 21:11)

This section contains the most pure yoga moves, in particular plank, warrior, chair and triangle poses and spinal adjustments.

Note that what I know as plank has you supporting yourself on your elbows, but here that's called dolphin pose and plank is actually pushup position.

This section concentrates on getting into positions and holding them, which I liked. There were a few misdirections, but mostly the cuing is first rate. There was one portion where you held a "side plank" resting all your body weight on one wrist. I found this was hurting my wrists, so I modified the pose to use my elbow instead (like a traditional side plank). It's not mentioned in the dvd, but that felt much better. Other than that, this was a good section which got me sweating. I felt I got some good stretching, and the plank poses really hit into my abs and shoulders and made me work.


Yoga level 2
15 minutes (actual running time 16:41)

Ok, this section is not really yoga, but that's not a criticism. Instead it utilizes pilates balance moves wonderfully to work into your abs. Some of the poses also use a water ball (a Biggest Loser product which is plugged in the "extras" section), but I just used some dumbells and they worked just fine. This was my favorite section because it worked your abs using moves that were slightly different to the norm (not a crunch in sight). I again used the same wrist modification from the first section.


Yoga level 3
10 minutes (actual running time 10:36)

This section combines traditional yoga moves with dumbells to give you an unusual strength workout. It matches strength moves such as deadlifts, lateral raises, bicep curls, chest flies, tricep kickbacks and rows with static yoga positions such as warrior, crescent, chair pose etc. The workout is rounded off with a good few minutes of plank (pushup) walkouts, combinations and variations which was an excellent way to finish out on slightly shaky arms.


Yoga cooldown
5 minutes (actual running time 7:30)

I always like to finish off my yoga routines with some relaxation poses and this one did not disappoint. It had a few nice cooldown stretches and then finished off with a nice corpse pose. Of course, this is the Biggest Loser so they couldn't resist plugging one of their other dvds (twice) while you were relaxing, but hey, at least they didn't try you sell you on chewing gum, bottled water, plastic baggies or takeout sandwich joints.


Summary
Overall this was an enjoyable workout that I had fun doing and will no doubt come back to regularly as a nice variation. The cooldown did its job and left me relaxed, happy and ready to spread world peace!!!


Ratings
Enjoyment factor : 8
Difficulty rating : 6
Overall : 7

Recommended : Yes

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And the North Wind shall Blow.....

Ok, it's freaking cold here today. I'm working from home and it's snowing outside my window. It used to be that I was the king of the cold weather, and while I'll still run in shorts and t-shirt when it gets below freezing, I don't relish it as much as I used to.

Of course, ask me that question again in July and I might have a different answer.

Since Dylan's been sick for the last few days, I haven't been able to do my early morning runs. Instead I've been doing a 10k loop of my neighborhood in the evenings just before bed. I've been using it as an opportunity to work on my speed.

Basically, there are two ways to get faster - either increase your cadence or your stride length. Cadence is simply a measure of how many times one of your feet hits the ground in a minute, and the elite runners generally have a cadence of 85-95. So on Sunday's run I measured my cadence by counting the number of times my right foot hit the ground in 30 seconds and multiplying by two. I did this three times during the run - once at the beginning, once in the middle and once near the end, with the idea that if I knew my natural cadence I could work on some drills to increase it.

I've always thought I had a slow cadence, but the results surprised me. All three readings were very consistent, and they came out at 90 hits a minute. Which means my cadence is right where it should be.

So last night I repeated the run and decided to concentrate on getting a better pushoff from my back leg while maintaining the same cadence and not overstriding.

The results were pretty conclusive - I did Sunday's run in 47:49 (7:42 pace) and last night I pulled 46:25 (7:29 pace). While nowhere near my best 10k race times, I'm pretty pleased with those numbers. Especially since I was running in the dark, wasn't going full out, and haven't been doing speedwork for a long time.

Looking at the weather outside though, I think I'll be practicing my cadence on the bike trainer tonight!!!

Sick Day

Cats in the Cradle - Dylan and Gavin

I'm not at work today. Little Dylan is not feeling well and wants his dad, so I'm taking a sick day. The poor little guy had a double ear infection last week and got some antibiotics from the doctor, a side effect of which was the worst diaper rash I've ever seen. Then yesterday, his nose started pouring and he was very restless last night. So he's having a daddy day.

Fortunately, he's a very good natured little boy and is still laughing and grinning. Right now he's speeding around the living room at a rate of knots, grabbing my shoes, books, Gavin's action figures and cars, and anything else that's within reach while blowing raspberries at me.

He's also trying to sneak a drink of my coffee. Oh yes, I definitely see my cheekiness and determination in him.

Unfortunately I also recognize a lot of myself in Gavin :-)

He got into trouble in school last week for not listening, misbehaving and disrupting. So I didn't talk to him for a few days - no playing, no wrestling, no cooking with daddy, no "James and the Giant Peach" bedtime story. Now Gavin loves to talk, and he absolutely hates it when daddy ignores him. The other morning he came up to me and said "daddy, when you're ready I'll be here". Right then I knew my protest was over, and we made friends again soon afterward.

Why does it feel like I'm being handled and manipulated???

We talked to his teacher and she said that while he sometimes misbehaved and was very strong willed, he didn't have a mean bone in his body, and that she found it hard to stay mad at him for any length of time. I know that's true, and I'm glad about that. I also know that he's a charmer, and I think he'll get away with a lot because of that.

I think his problem is that he has an inherent mistrust of authority, is very stubborn, and has a desire to march to the beat of his own drum. Hmm, who does that sound like?

I only wish he would make an exception when the authority is me!!!

Planning Races

My race schedule is looking a little bare, so it's time to start planning my adventures. Last year I ran 14 races of marathon distance and beyond (plus two half marathons). While I'm probably not going to run anywhere near as many this year, this is what I have planned so far (and I'm sure others will be added along the way).

Date	Race
March 2010	Little Rock marathon, Arkansas
July 2010	El Scorcho 50k, Fort Worth
October 2010	Frankenthon marathon, Brushy Creek
October 2010	Cactus Rose 100 miles, Bandera
January 2011	Bandera 100k, Bandera
February 2011	Rocky Raccoon 100 miles, Huntsville

My goal races are the last three - Cactus, Bandera and Rocky - and I want to smash my best times in all three. If I complete them I will get a nice chunk of granite in the shape of Texas for completing the Tejas Trails 300 series. A year ago I completed the Texas Trilogy, and that was a big motivator to keep hammering it at Rocky.

I'm hoping this will have the same effect.

Chubby Hubby

My ideal running weight is somewhere between 150 and 155lbs. A few years ago I dropped down to 143lbs, and while I found that it helped me run fast in shorter races (not so much of me to carry around), it cut into my endurance for the longer ultras. So I pulled back up to 150lbs and discovered that worked a lot better for me.

If I get much above that it starts to impact my running, so my ideal is to maintain right around that level. I very rarely weigh myself, but when I did last week I was a little surprised to find that I've crept up to 162lbs (11.5 stone). I guess that explains why my running has sucked for a while (that plus the stupid foot niggle which is still refusing to go away).

So while I have been doing quite a bit of strength training (which has maybe added 1 or 2 lbs), I figure I probably need to watch what I'm eating for a while until I can get back to that magic weight.

Now the first thing you need to do when you're trying to drop some weight is to figure out what your caloric intake is, and the best way to do that is to keep a food journal. But it's fiddly, boring, and takes so long to write down and figure out. There has to be a better way!!!

And there is.

In fact, there are a number of free online sites that will help you put together a food journal. I used to use the excellent fitday - it has some extremely detailed reports and analysis, but it still took a chunk of time because I had to manually calculate and input a lot of the foods that I ate. Then a few days ago I found myfitnesspal and switched over to it. This is a wonderful site if you just want some basic tracking, and its database already contains many of the HEB brand products I tend to use, so it's fast and super easy to use. While the reporting is not as detailed as fitday, the speed of use means I'm much more likely to keep on using it.

But there's another catch. If you're like me and make a lot of food from scratch then it's not going to be in the database. So what to do?

Well, you could write down all the ingredients, total up the caloric info and divide it by the number of portions.

Or you could just go here. Simply write your recipe ingredients into the text box and let it magically calculate it for you. Once you have that, you can enter it into myfitnesspal as a custom food and you're good to go.

The great thing about using tools like this is that you start noticing trends in your eating habits. For example, while my carb/protein/fat ratio is just about what I thought it was (and should be), my portion sizes are just too big.

It's a simple enough equation - calories in vs calories out - and I'm just eating too much (no big shock there as I love to eat).

But there's something about having to write it down that makes it far less likely for me to cheat.

Ah, accountability - are you my friend or foe!!!

Busy Weekend

I was supposed to go and run the Austin marathon course yesterday, but I slept in and wanted to get back in time to watch the rugby, so I ended up doing 11 miles of hill running instead.

So when Naresh called and asked me if I wanted to run the half marathon course with him last night I jumped at the chance. Sharpie also joined us, and we had a great laugh as we ran up and down the hills that several thousand runners would traverse today.

It gave me 24 miles for the day, and my foot held up pretty well - I got a few twinges from it in the last few miles, but nothing very serious.

Then this morning I joined the HCTR crew at the 22.5 mile mark of the marathon with our unofficial water (and adult beverage) stop. We yelled, cheered and clapped as the runners came past. We had several Mexican wrestler masks, a gorilla mask, a few cowbells and clappers, and we had a blast.

It's a lot of fun to see a marathon from another angle.

On the Road Again

Hooray for a pain-free run. I did 10 miles this morning at a nice easy 8:30 pace with not a hint of complaint from the erstwhile naughty foot (though for some odd reason I mashed my middle toe to a bloody pulp). And since I didn't get to pace last weekend, that also gave me my first miles for February. Huge thanks to Caroline for getting me out to run this morning, and to David - it's been too long since we ran together. And neither of them complained (too much) when I missed a turn (too busy talking) and inadvertently turned our 7 miler into a 10 miler. I know Alan will get a kick out of that!!!

And I certainly wasn't complaining because I was just enjoying the run - my legs felt light, the pace was easy, the weather was great (cold with no wind) and it was just nice to be back out there. I'm going to shoot for 20+ tomorrow - we'll see how that goes.

And there's some milestones on the baby Dylan front too. Earlier this week he discovered crawling. I could tell he's been thinking about it for a while, but it's as if a light suddenly went off in his head and he just took off and shot across the room. He had a worryingly triumphant grin on his face - a "shackles are off" kind of grin.

Then a few nights ago he found his feet. I was working on the computer, and when I looked around he was standing up in his crib laughing at me. So proud of himself. He has since progressed to walking laps around the crib (while holding on to the bars) and doing the same around the coffee table.

Last night Gavin and I were doing "silly dances", and Dylan stood up and started stamping his foot in time to the music - it was hilarious.

Then he got the idea to climb out of the crib, and he wasn't far off. I think it's time to start lowering the mattress.

Game of Dracula

Last night Gavin and I played "Game of Dracula" - an old board game I had as a kid back in the 70s, and which I recently found on ebay. The aim of the game is to escape from Dracula's castle to "home". If Dracula catches you then your playing piece gets covered by a vampire bat and you have to chase the other players around to "switch the curse" to them and free yourself.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I won. But in the midst of my celebration, I noticed Gavin was in tears.

"Daddy", he sobbed, "you can't leave me in the castle. I'm your boy. Who will play with me? You've got to come back".

He lifted up the side of the vampire bat and pointed sadly at his playing piece - "look, I'm still under here. What will become of me?"

He was so upset, and my soothing reply that he would now "roam the night feasting on peasants" didn't seem much comfort.

"Well I'll never play it again then" he declared.

And that was that - I went and told him a bedtime story, cuddled him, tucked him in and forgot all about it.

So this morning I went to wake him up and he had a big grin on his face. The first thing he said was "daddy, I'm going to go back to that castle and teach that vampire a lesson".

I promised we'd get mummy to play with us tonight, and we'd make her be the vampire.

That seemed to be much more acceptable.

Marathon Fashion

I got my Little Rock marathon race booklet in the mail today. I was browsing through it tonight and came across the following gem:

"For those who want the best finish photo possible we offer a lipstick stop at mile 26 on the marathon course".

What do you think - should I stop? :-)

Rocky from the Other Side

The rugby match didn't start the day off too well as Wales lost a scrappy game because of a moment of madness from a player who should know better (and if he didn't he does now).

But minutes after the final whistle I was on the road to Huntsville, nursing a water bottle and a slight fatigue headache. Once I got off 290 it was a pretty drive and I turned the radio off, cracked the window and forgot the game while enjoying the best of a beautiful winter's afternoon.

I had Derek's predicted splits in my head, so when I got to the park I wanted to see where he was so I'd have an idea of when I would be needed. I estimated he had just started on his third loop so I headed to Josue's aid station. I chatted with Gabe, Diana and Jeff and it wasn't long before Derek came through. He was right on time and looked strong, focused and in the zone - he didn't even stop at the aid station. I figured he would finish out the loop around 9 o'clock, so I headed down to the lodge, said hello to some friends and then headed into town for supper.

Huntsville is a very odd place - the roads seem designed to suck you in and prevent you from getting where you want to go, and the roadworks never seem to change. I've been coming here to race for over 3 years now and the same bit of road is always dug up and the same lanes are always closed. Go figure.

I hadn't eaten very much since I'd been in the line at Austin ISD so I wanted some quick calories and ventured into town in search of them. The first thing that struck me (just like last time) was that almost everyone seemed to be walking around town in camouflage (I can still see you).

My first choice was a Mexican restaurant, so I sat in the parking lot watching some camouflage-clad middle aged rednecks performing handbreak turns and "Tow Mater-style" reverses in their monster Dodge pickups. The mexican option faded a little, so I decided a chinese buffet may be the order of the day. But that place looked even more scary - it had a zany 70s style decor and almost everyone in there was wider than they were tall (yes, I know that's rude and very un-PC, but it also happens to be true).

So I settled for the safe backup - takeout pizza. I took it back to the park and set about it like a pig at the trough. Thus fortified, I pottered over to the park road aid station.

I loved this aid station - they'd decorated the trees with beads, had a heater and a radio and had a great party atmosphere going. It was 4.4 miles from the start/finish so I figured if I saw Derek come through here it would give me plenty of time to get to the start/finish, change and be ready to go back out with him.

I had thought that coming to this race, I would be jealous of the runners and wish I were running it. But surprisingly I wasn't. Nancy has a theory on this that I will explore in its own posting.

But back to the race.

By now it had gotten dark and COLD. I remember last year running into aid stations and wondering why everyone was dressed in coats, hats, scarves and gloves. This year, watching from the other side I found myself wondering why so many runners were in shorts and t-shirt!!!

Yes, I know - pot...kettle...black.

Derek came through right on cue around 8:15 and was still running strong. He was in good spirits and looked remarkably fresh. When we'd talked about this race, one of the things I'd recommended was not to waste time in the aid stations - get in and out as quickly as possible. Well he'd obviously taken that to heart because I turned around to say something to the guy next to me, and by the time I'd turned back around he was gone, headed toward the lodge and the end of the loop.

That was an excellent sign.

So I drove down there, changed into my running gear and hurried over to the turnaround. I found a "mess tent" where they had a heater set up and stood around it talking to Rod H. from Hawaii. He and his nephew had completed the Hawaii Hurt 100 three weeks previously, and while Rod had dropped due to muscle problems his nephew was on course to finish well (which he did - 4th overall male).

He was good company, and Larry and Jeff joined us. From time to time I'd step outside to see if Derek had come in, but there was no sign. As time went by and still no Derek we started to get worried and I wondered if I'd missed him. We went and checked the computer and that confirmed he was yet to come in.

Eventually I saw him hobbling in just after 10pm - almost two hours after leaving the aid station 4.4 miles back up the trail. Disaster had struck - it turns out he'd lost concentration for a moment just after leaving the aid station and hyper-extended his knee which was now locking up and preventing him from running.

I was utterly deflated for him. He had put so much into this race, including 7 months of training, and had run an almost perfect race. But that's the thing about trails - a single misstep or lapse of concentration can wipe out everything in an instant.

I sat him down in the tent and got him some hot broth while we assessed the options. Derek said he was going to drop and I'm 100% certain he made the right decision. But I had to make sure and I pushed a little. I suggested we try a few miles to see if it eased up, or taped or iced it. I'm sure I got a little annoying, but I just wanted to be sure that was a decision that Derek could live with in the morning.

And when I saw in his face that it was, I let it be.

Though disappointed, he was very philosophical, and I know he can come back and complete this goal. I am equally certain that but for that misfortune he would have gone on to finish the last two loops and bag an outstanding first 100 mile finish.

I'm just sorry I didn't get to share the trail with him for a spell - it would have been fun.

I helped carry his stuff back to his car, and then I wandered back to the start/finish line not quite sure what to do. I chatted with Jeff and Larry for a while and helped crew for Cheri when she came through. Then around midnight I decided to drive home. I didn't have a hotel room because I'd anticipated running all night, and I wanted to sleep in my own bed so I set off for the long drive back to Austin.

And it was pretty uneventful. When I got too tired to drive any more I'd pull over and take a quick power nap then carry on. I stopped three times and got home around 5am. Having not slept since Thursday night I figured I would fall into bed and not wake up until this afternoon, but oddly enough I couldn't sleep - I got up barely an hour later wanting something to do, and got busy making bread.

I'm sure it will hit me later, but right now I'm feeling great.

And since New Orleans is playing in the superbowl today, I'm going to make some sausage and shrimp gumbo to accompany the bread for supper.

Looking forward to that.

End of the Line

I'm done!!! 24 hours of waiting in line and I finally got Gavin's student transfer request in this morning. I also got plenty of emails from friends who saw me being interviewed on tv. Here's the link if you want a laugh - they edited it well, I sound halfway intelligent!!!

All in all it wasn't a bad experience (though I wouldn't want to have to do it again anytime soon). The guy right in front of me brought a projector and speakers with him and screened a movie on the wall last night, which was fun. I got to meet some super nice folks, and the people watching is always interesting. Mine was the 30th overall transfer request filed (and I believe it was the 7th or 8th for the school we want) so we stand a very good chance of getting in.

We should find out by the end of March.

I was amazed to see people still arriving to line up just before 7 this morning - couldn't help but think they were a day late and a dollar short.

This morning I'm going to watch the England vs Wales rugby international then I'm driving up to Huntsville to pace Derek through the night at the Rocky 100.

After sitting around for the last day I'm looking forward to it.

Update from the Line

Well it's now 2pm which means I've been in line here for 7 hours. Only another 17 to go!!! Other than the fact that it's freaking cold, things are going pretty well. We're lined up snaking around a parking garage (and there are now plenty of folks lined up behind me), and it's a bit of a wind tunnel. Nancy just called me from her nice warm office (though she only gloated a little bit), and she's going to swing by later with a thermos of coffee, some gloves and an extra coat to see me through the night.

This morning the place was swarming with reporters and cameramen from the local tv stations. It was weird and not altogether pleasant sitting here being filmed (though the KEYE babe can come back as often as she likes - hubba hubba). Fortunately, there's a really outgoing guy just in front of me who's erected a tent, and all the tv stations instantly honed in on him, which kept the rest of us in relative anonymity.

I'm going to stop blogging and defrost my hands again!!!

Update: didn't hide quite as well as I might have hoped - just got interviewed by one of the tv stations. Knew I should have shaved this morning :-)

The Long Wait

I'm waiting in line outside Austin ISD to request a student transfer for Gavin. I have 24 hours to wait here (the window opens at 7am tomorrow morning) and I'm 28th in line (and 8th for the school we want), so I think I have a great chance of getting him in. As an added bonus I can get a wireless connection - God bless netbooks!!!

I'm so glad I didn't wait until later today to come out here because I think I'd have been out of luck. It's a little cold here but not as cold and rainy as it has been. I have a plentiful supply of books, my ipod, my netbook and some sandwiches and snacks so I'm all set. I've met some fun people in line - just as well as we're going to be here all day and night.

Not the best preparation to pace an ultramarathon, but there ya go. At least I have Monday off work to recover.

A Slave to Cadence

I've been doing some spinning as part of my cross training - mostly concentrating on keeping a high cadence with the idea that will translate into a faster foot turnover, thus increasing my running speed. It's been fun, even though I'm a pretty rotten cyclist - more a Seth Armstrong than a Lance Armstrong!!!

I've also been hammering the strength and cardio workouts. Since I cut back my running to give my foot time to repent of its naughty ways I've had much more time for cross training, and as part of that I got three new workout dvds which I've been trying out - I'll do them a few more times and then post some reviews.

And speaking of said foot, it feels good and I'm looking forward to pacing Derek for the last 40 miles of his first 100 at Rocky Raccoon. I can't believe it's been a year since I ran that thing and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a teeny weeny bit jealous. It's a great race that will always hold some special memories for me.

I hope I can help Derek make some special memories of his own on Saturday.

Old Bangers and Cranky Noodles

Have you ever had an old car that you kept beating on year after year? It has some strange noises which you can never locate because they seem to keep moving, and eventually bits start falling off yet somehow it still keeps going. That's kinda what I felt like when I woke up this morning and felt a few twinges from my other foot. WTF???? When did that happen?

A classic danger of running while carrying an injury is that you automatically compensate for it and end up with other injuries as a result, which is what seems to be threatning to happen. Luckily it's just a twinge right now so I'll be really nice to it this week and it will doubtless become ashamed of its errant behavior and modify itself accordingly.

So let's move onto something other than running. Tonight I had a great time teaching Gavin how to make noodles. We measured and mixed the dough together, then I fed it into the machine while he handcranked. We put it through the rollers and then the cutters and made spaghetti noodles. He did a super job and was really proud of himself.

We had "Gavin's noodles" with some lean ground turkey and marinara sauce - it was delicious!!!