Things that go Wrong when you're Away

So I didn't get to the gym last night. I was about to go down (I promise I really was) when my mobile rang. It was my wife, calling to tell me that the air conditioner had gone out, the DVR was refusing to connect to the backend server (I built my own DVR last year using MythTV under linux) and that "my son" was being a monster. For some reason, whenever I go to Dallas on a business trip, something like this happens. Last time I got caught in a freak hailstorm halfway there and my windshield wiper got busted up. The time before that, Nancy's car died the day I left and she had to ride the bus every day. At least this time it's easily fixed. The A/C guy is coming to look at it tomorrow and Gavin is obviously just missing his dad. I think the DVR just needs the modem and router to be recycled and it'll be fine.

Back in my world, the office I'm visiting is really nice. It is on Lake Carolyn and I took advantage of the surroundings at lunch and took a nice stroll along the waterways. I found a bench by the water, ate my lunch there and read my book. I'm reading "The Perfect Mile" which is the story of three athletes - Roger Bannister, John Landry and Wes Santee - striving to break the four minute mile in the 1950s. It is beautifully written and weaves the story in and out of their contrasting backgrounds, taking in their differing circumstances, motivations and the world to which they belonged. It is both humorous and poignant, an echo of a bygone era.

And yes - I did manage to get to the gym tonight. I needed to as well - if I traveled for business more often, I'd be as big as a house.

Let Loose in the Big City

I'm in Dallas for the rest of the week for work. Right now I'm sitting here in my hotel room putting off going downstairs to the gym. I really need to because I made an absolute pig of myself at the chinese and mongolian barbecue down the road. I think the owners were fearing financial ruin every time I went back to the buffet line.

But there's something lonely about getting a table for one at a restaurant, especially when your family is 200 miles away. It never used to bother me but I kinda miss them. I've been married for nearly 10 years - you'd think I would be glad of any opportunity to get away for a while. Maybe I just love my wife - is that weird?

And talking of weird, I hate to start conspiracy theories but the guy sitting a couple of tables down from me looked exactly like Saddam Hussein. If he hadn't been executed several years ago, I might have stepped outside and called a tip line.

Let's get back to more familiar ground - the pushup challenge. It's getting harder but still manageable. Glad I got them out of the way before I went out though.

Week 3 day 2
Plan : 27, 19, 19, 15, at least 25
Actual : 27, 19, 19, 15, 30

Ok, I can't put it off any longer, I'd better go down. At least I brought a book with me to read on the elliptical.

How Far can you Run in 12 hours?

I'm in!!! Just mailed off my check for the Timber Knoll 12 hour all-night run. The race is in three weeks time and coincides with full moon - it starts at 7pm and finishes at 7am the next morning. Another slightly different format - there is no set distance, it's however many 8.5 mile loops of Pedernales Falls State Park you can manage in the 12 hours. The course is all technical trail and I've heard a lot of good things about this series. I have a goal in mind but I'm keeping it to myself until after the race.

A change in road shoes?

Pushup Challenge : Week 3 day 1
Plan : 25, 17, 17, 15, at least 25
Actual : 25, 17, 17, 15, 30

Ok, I noticed the difference in the number of pushups this morning - it's quite a step-up from week 2, but I'm still hanging in there.

Had some good running this weekend. Didn't get a great turnout for the office running group yesterday (no real surprise), but I still managed to go out fast with both the 5k and 10k groups. It was very humid and not that easy (I chose a real hilly course) so I was glad to be done. I think I may shortly be in the market for a change in road shoes though - after many years of running happily in Reebok Premier Roads, they have suddenly started giving me blisters on the instep. Doesn't happen with my trail shoes, just the road ones. I wonder if running trail has subtly changed my foot shape and/or size. Maybe I should just start taping them (my feet, that is, not the shoes :-)). Any suggestions?

Then this morning I had a fun run at Ken's. The first half was pretty slow, but Joe broke free and took off just before the switchbacks. I took off after him and we hammered the second half of the loop. There's one big climb just after the scenic overlook that goes straight up the ridge. I have adopted that hill as my nemesis and make a point of running it hard each time. It's a really tough hill and my legs are like rubber for quite a while afterward, but it's a good workout.

I've made some ravioli for supper tonight - rolled out some pasta dough to make shells (bought one of these some time ago which makes the process super easy) and stuffed them with a ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, chive, basil and egg white combination. I have a marinara sauce simmering away on the stove, some fajita chicken ready to grill up, and some French country bread just out of the oven. The house smells fantastic.

Sourdough Waffles and Pushups

Now what in the world could possibly bring together sourdough waffles and pushups into a coherent and intelligent blog posting? Well, nothing. But if some vaguely entertaining incoherent rambling will satisfy you then read on.

First up, tonight marked the end of week 2 of the pushup challenge, and that meant it was time for another exhaustion test - how many pushups could I do in a row? A few weeks ago I managed 31 good form pushups and I thought I'd made some good progress since then, so I was looking forward to seeing how far I'd come. Well, I managed 60(!!!!) which keeps me well on track going into week 3. A hundred still seems a long way off though.

And on the flip side, it's Friday night which means it's time for the sourdough starter to rise from the dead (well, the fridge) and feed. Took it out, proofed it with a cup of flour and a cup of warm water and left it to reactivate. Last weekend I cobbled together a simple recipe for sourdough waffles which I really enjoyed, so I'm going to write it down before I forget it - and what better place to keep it than right here.

Ingredients
2 cups proofed sourdough starter (left overnight to activate)
1 extra large egg
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp baking soda

Pour 2 cups of starter (make sure to leave enough behind for next time) into a bowl, add in the egg, oil, sugar and baking soda and stir well.

Cover loosely and let sit for 20-30 minutes

Heat your waffle iron and use the waffle batter as directed by your manufacturer (I have a Belgian waffle maker and this batch makes about 3 lots of waffles).

Serve with syrup, yogurt, strawberries or whatever floats your boat.

And finally, I downloaded a new song for the jukebox - "Sittin' at a Bar" by Rehab. Heard it on the radio while driving home last night and liked it. Don't really know why - if I did it would probably explain a lot :-)

Pushup Challenge : week 2 day 3

Plan : 15, 15, 12, 12, at least 15
Actual : 15, 15, 12, 12, 20

Finished out week 2 of the pushup challenge tonight and I'm still going strong. There is another exhaustion test coming up to determine which track to follow into week 3, so bring it on.

I am taking a training class at the SAS institute today and for the rest of the week. The class doesn't start until 9 - a great chance for a lie-in. So naturally I got up early to go run Walnut Creek with Clea. I'm glad I did because it was one of those days when running just felt so easy. I wore my El Scorcho singlet for the first time and it felt really good. I drove home feeling exhilarated and glowing, and had time to enjoy a nice long shower before heading out to my class.

What a great way to start the day.