Headed Down the Wrong Path

I'm talking about the path of bad luck. Once it starts, it's really hard to reverse direction. For example, I've been bike riding regularly now for 5 years. The only flats I've had usually happened before I left the house or before I took off on my ride - I've been lucky. My luck has changed.



Last week I had grand plans to ride 50+ miles. I had a great route planned but before I left the house (lucky me) I discovered I had a flat tire - it had to be the back tire. I quickly changed the flat and was on my way. I was 45 miles into my ride with 10 left to get back home. I noticed that the sky was looking particularly ominous and I was luckily (again, the good luck part) at a park with a shelter where I could wait out a storm if need be. I called home to get my husband to give me a weather update - he said it looked bad and that the radar map showed a large storm area - so I arranged for him to pick me up - end of ride. The sad part - the actual storm didn't arrive for two more hours - I could've easily finished my ride.



This week, I made arrangements with a friend to do a brick of 40 mile ride followed by a 5 mile run. Mapped out another route for both. We took off and 11 miles out, my back tire flats again. No problem getting the tube changed - BIG problem working the CO2 cartridges. Here is an area where I'm severely challenged for some reason. I did get the first cartridge to work but thought the tire felt very full and pulled it off. I don't know to TURN the cartridge to regulate the flow of gas - I do now - but not until after I blew all four of our cartridges. So the plan was for my friend to ride back to get her car and pick me up - I was going to start walking back to our meetup spot, about two miles away.



Walking any distance in bike shoes sucks. I got back to our meeting spot and waited - for about an hour. Employees getting off work from a close-by company hung around me - they were all a little strange. The one guy was yelling at someone - no one was sure quite who - about the cost of fixing a broken vehicle and the senselessness of spending $250 on something - not sure what - but he kept yelling.



While I was walking, I came up with a better solution but I didn't bring a cellphone with me as my friend had hers. You only need one phone right? Wrong.... There was actually a bike shop right around the corner from our meeting place - oh well, better luck (there's that word again) next time.



So today I decided to change out my tire as I think that was the problem. There was a lot of cuts in my tire, so I put on a new one I had laying around - won a set of tires from a bike seminar I went to, so now I had a chance to use one. It was all folded up - so I spent a bit of time bending it around the tube. Got it about 90% on and it was just too tight - I couldn't get the tire on the wheel. I went up to my local bike shop where the owner put the tire on for me and I went home. He was really busy fitting a client to a bike, so I was LUCKY that he could take a minute or two to help me out.



After I got home, I tried to pump up the tire and couldn't get the pump to stay on the stem. I decided to start over and take the tire off to put on a better tube. Remember how I couldn't get the tire on because it was so tight - well, now I can't get the tire off and broke a tire lever trying. So quite humbly I trekked back to the bike shop and explained my situation. This guy is so nice, he put a new tube on and didn't charge me for his time or the tube. I bought a set of $4 tire levers from him. Now my bike is ready to ride again. My only concern - if I flat again, will I be able to change that tire or will it just be TOUGH LUCK.

Do You Get It?

Today (Easter Sunday), my friend and I went out for our training ride. My schedule called for a 3 hour ride and I'm not certain what she had - however, she had done a duathlon race yesterday and was really only in for a recovery ride. Today, the weather was not ideal. It was low 40s with 17 mph winds - I'm sure the gusts were more than that.

We were talking about our friends and family and the fact that they just don't get the whole triathlon workout ethic. This made me think about a comment my father made a few days ago. I had asked him what he had done all day and he said "nothing." He went on to explain that he's earned that right - because of his age.

I have to say that I'm very disappointed in that remark. I'm 55 years old and I hope when I reach his age I can say that I've earned the right to continue a quality life. I hope that I'm laying the ground work now that will help ensure my health and my ability to continue living a life that is more rewarding than just sitting in a chair in front of the TV all day long. Honestly, what type of existence is that?

I watched my aunt, who was always rather vibrant, let her life just slip away. She became extremely obese and at the end of her life, she wasn't able to get up and go to the bathroom herself. I worry that my father is headed down that path - how do you change that mentality? Is there a way to get through to him? I wonder what he thinks when he gets up every day - breakfast and on to the chair and the trusty remote.

I watch overweight people running around the stores in their motorized carts and I want to scream - Get off your fat ass and do something! Foreigners are SO right when they say that Americans have become fat and lazy - I look at children in church who are already exploding out of their jeans and look pudgy. What type of lazy adults are these children going to be?

I hope that I am setting an example for my kids (who are now adults) that you can continue to live a healthy active lifestyle - that this is what you should strive for and continue to maintain.

So, I'm here to say that I Get It - I Want It and I will continue as long as I can and hope I don't see the day when I'm resigned to sitting in my chair and watching life go by.

Purse Challenged

April 5th (what?) and still slacking - but I have an excuse. I've been really trying to make all my workouts - even when I have a 13 hour week. Do people my age really make a 13 hour week? I got close - how about 11?

Anyway, my purse strap broke about 2 weeks ago. At first, I successfully duct-taped it back together but about 2 days ago, it totally bit it. Now I'm carrying my purse in my arms like a baby. Friday night I went out in search of a new purse. Here's what you don't know - I get attached to a purse - REALLY attached and it takes me forever to find a replacement.

Some people buy purses like they buy shoes - but that is not me. I find one purse and I run it into the ground and when it's over, I go through the trauma of finding another one. Purses are either too big or too small or just too expensive - no Goldilocks-moment here - none that are just right.

This current purse I bought back in August off of QVC. (I'm an addict and I admit it.) It is really cute, but when I tried to put all my stuff into it, it wouldn't fit. So, I put it in my closet and figured I'd give it away. At that time I was using the D&B purse my husband bought for me about 9 months ago at an outlet store in Destin, Florida. I'd been looking for that purse for 3 years and finally found one I liked that I would let him pay for (dangling participle, I know).

Then I decided that purse was too big and forced myself to use the one off the shelf that used to be too small. I got it to work out for me and now it's broken. The D&B purse is too big and to heavy - so I need to find something else.

I went to the mall on Friday night (which is truly an experience as the range of fashions on the high school kids is amazing - some very weird stuff). I went to Sears, Macy's, Penney's and Dillard's and found only one potential purse that cost $85 and I didn't like it that much - so I came home empty-handed.

Today, I was going to transfer my stuff into the D&B purse and just couldn't bring myself to do it. So, I guess I'll be toting my "baby" purse around until I can find a suitable replacement. I hope that day comes soon.

Wishy-Washy

Boy, have I been slacking lately. No post since JANUARY 14 and today is WHAT - March 1st? That cannot be possible. Where have I been?

Mostly, I've been whining a lot about a lot of things - good to be consistent don't you think. For starters, one of my employees broke her ankle on Christmas Eve and was unable to return to work until February 16 - do you know how long that is? Somewheres around 7 weeks and this is an employee who does a great deal of work and that ONLY I know how to do. So in addition to my own job, I had to do hers. This was very stressful and really set me back quite a bit.

So that's really my excuse - I am sticking to it. Well, that and the fact that my life was so boring and work oriented, who would have time to deal with writing a blog of any consequence?

I had a very long story to tell regarding my Citibank Mastercard and it was so long and convoluted that I decided to postpone that for a time. Needless to say, that is one card that will be cut up and replaced very soon.

The actual point of my post for today regards a 10 mile trail run that I did yesterday. Yesterday's temps were not to get out of the low 30s and when the race started it was 20-something. If you know me at all, you know I hate the cold.

I also lost last weekend as I had to be out of town for work. I had to be in Orlando - I know you're wondering how that could be a bad thing. Consider this - 70 degrees outside (yes!) and me stuck inside for the majority of time and no bike (can you feel my pain?) Not to mention, the inability to get my personal things done last weekend - but I digress.

So, I decided that I wouldn't do this race. I needed to catch up on my life.... and my training.

I barely found the time to go pick up my race packet. I had to scoot out of work in the morning to go pick it up. I looked at my workout for Saturday and it indicated 1:30 run with lots of hills - gee, wouldn't a 10 mile trail run fit that bill? Too bad I'm not going to do it. Besides I want to sleep in on Satuday.

I ran into one of my friends at packet pickup. The guy who gave me stuff said he would see me at the race - yes, but I'm not going to go. I need to sleep and it's going to be too cold. My friend told me she was going to probably drop out around the 5 mile mark due to nagging hamstring injury. Well, maybe I could just do that. Do the race as a training run and drop off at 5 miles - oh, and the race doesn't even start until 10:00 - I can sleep in AND maybe the temps will be better at that time.

So, now I have changed course. My friend and I made arrangements to ride together to the race, sort of stay together on the course and drop off at 5 miles.

First of all, it was cold and I couldn't wait for the race to start so that I could get myself warmed up. Once it started, everyone ran by us and we appeared to be bringing up the rear. I really hate to be last, but if you drop out, you DNF and no one really knows you were last.

I started to feel pretty good and had an opportunity to pass a guy - so I did, leaving my friend behind. I picked up a little more speed and kept on trucking along. I felt pretty good at the 5 mile mark and decided to give it a go. I passed a few more people along the way and knew I would not be last - so I finished the race.

So I went from blowing off the race to doing only half the race to finishing the race. If you were my friend, would you believe anything that I said?

Actually, as I ran I began to think about the fact that I would be attempting my first half Iron distance in July - would I quit during the run because I was tired or it was too hard? I would hope not, so I used this race as preparation for the mental challenge of a half. I know, it's not even close, but given my initial plan for the race, it would work. So that's what kept me going - the fact that I hate when I quit. It's like having a bad hangover - you can't really do anything to change the awful predicament you have gotten yourself into - so rather than feel the pain of the next day, I opted to feel the pain of completing the race and the absolute HIGH that you get when the race is over. I guess that is what keeps us all going!

On Being A Race Director

My first endeavor in this arena is this Saturday at 10:00 AM when I co-direct a 5k and 10k run for our triathlon club. I am SO excited and SO scared - the anticipation and panic are mounting daily.

The decisions to be made are exponential and with each decision I waiver and look for guidance. The other director has taken on all the parts of the job that I don't like - she is doing the majority of personal contact. I'm doing all the online, non-personal tasks. At this point, I'm not entirely certain that I'm pulling my weight.

She will be out there tomorrow morning in the frigid cold hanging NO PARKING signs along the route. I feel bad that I can't be there and glad that I can't be there. I hate cold - I hate cold real bad.

This is the third year for this race and in the past no one has really taken the time to promote it properly. We decided this year would be different - we had a crackerjack team of volunteers putting registration forms out all over the city. Last year there were 47 runners - this year we made the decision to stop accepting registrations when they reached 200 as we planned for far less and told city officials and police we were expecting 100-150. Not necessarily a popular decision if you intended to run in the race and just now decided to signup.

We had a blogspot to post information and participant lists, we had links to registration setup on the tri club site and local running store and track club sites. We had volunteers out beating the bushes for freebies for the packets.

We have these really cool looking beanies to give out instead of the ceremonious tee shirt. We have trophies and medals to hand out to the winners.

And we are hoping for a really awesome race and experience for the 200 that had the foresight to sign up before the week of the race. Lots of people inquiring and go away frowning - but next year we will be ready. We know the best way to promote and get the runners stoked - we will have a handle on how much money we will have to spend on niceties and awards.

So, it's been a true learning experience and I'm not really sure that I would want to do it again. But, you know, these things are like childbirth and triathlon - the joy at the end always seems to overwhelm the pain.