For a mere 48 hours, I was Carbon Wheelman! With superhero likeness, I held the other worldly, featherlight disc in my hand spinning it on its axis hub rotating it like a gyro with visions of greatness spun off its rim. Flying, I was!
The mailman arrived with bills in hands. Hospital bills -- Carbon Wheelman's Kryptonite! Karen's bills were rapidly rising to a near insurmountable amount. Carbon Wheelman had no choice but to liquidate on E-bay. And, so he did. But for a mere 48 hours, Carbon Wheelman held the dream but didn't live the life of a Carbon Wheelman.
In the end, the bills are paid but what became of Carbon Wheelman?
The evil clutches of work clutched its hands around his throat robbing him of his life blood and self. Chained to his desk, often twelve to sixteen hours a day, he's had no time to see the light of day, let alone train. Sure, he ran in a couple of half-marathons but did more harm then good. At this time, carbon wheels would do him no good. Now what Carbon Wheelman needs is ...time. Time to be Ironmanbob. Time to train. Time to swim. Time to run.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
A deal and steal!
A TriSports garage sale? $30 running shoes? I'm there! Whoever said this sport was expensive? Well, I did. Last week-end I took the light rail to TriSport's Tempe location with a limited budget. My intention was to purchase a $30 pair of Newtons to give them a try and see what the buzz was about. Sure enough they had my size! Look what's next to the Newton's! K-Swiss...do you think I pull off the look? They have my size!
What's this? Carbon wheels? $250? NO Frick'en way! Quickly, I pulledout my cell phone to do some research on the Hed Stinger 9 Flamme Rouge which turned out to be quite a wheel...the fastest! It was suggested to pair the rear 9 with a front 6. So, with a quick formulated plan, I made the plunge and purchased the wheel and shoes .. and socks.. and shorts.
With a smile on face, I hauled my loot back on the train back to Phoenix. This smile will be short lived... very short lived.
Waiting at home was a stack of newly arrived mail. A few of the evelopes contained Christmas bills that I anticiapted. One envelope didn't contain an anticipated bill...Karen's bill for medical emergency blood clot. Then there was another bill ... and another.
As much as I wanted the wheel, I didn't want these bills. Monday morning I made the decision to post the Hed Stinger 9 Flamme Rouge (rear wheel) on Ebay. My dreams of flying on a carbon wheels are now dashed... for now. I take solace in that I could always rent and medical bills won't be hanging around my neck.
So, if you want an inexpensive wheel slide on over to e-bay and make a bid!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Benchmarking -- PF Chang's
With the cars backed-up for a couple of miles, it occurred to me that I miss the start of the race. With maturity and experience, this didn't bother as it would have in years past. After all, with electronic timing it doesn't matter where you start and I wasn't racing to set a PR. Rather, I was racing to determine where my fitness level was after nearly a year off of racing or working-out -- it was a crappy year.
Having parked the car at 7:30, I had little time to spare because according to the printed literature, the race already started or I have twenty minutes. Karen changed her mind about seeing the start as she needed to give herself an injection in the stomach still in addition to emptying the car of her gear-- bike, pannier, cane, etc. Instead, she went straight to the coffee house and would meet me at the finish.
Buckling my hydration buck and tying a a banana to my head, I began my quick trot to the start. The weather was perfect -- sunny, low 40s at the start and 70 degrees by the time I finish the race. The course changed to a loop and the start was in downtown Tempe. Following the music and other bibbed racers, I made it to corrals where I was assigned corral 2 -- months ago when I signed-up for the full marathon I was optimistic of my training plan. Instead, twelve hour days left no time for training, therefore I switched to the half-marathon. Even then I was optimistic with 1:40 predicted finish. Um... no. I was only began training on December 18th and had 4 weeks under my belt. Does your belts fit?
No. Inactivity and Christmas packed on the pounds. 18 pounds over.
I intended to start back further but all the corrals were packed. Instead, I chose corral 5 which was at the injection. The national anthem was just wrapping-up when I arrived. Just in time for two calf stretches before the wave starts began.
With a new "old" playlist, my songs were from the 90s, I began my benchmarking run. It wasn't an all out run but I kept a good, consistent pace. Turned out my first two splits were equal. I stopped for a port a john at the 1/2 way mark. At a water stop, my water bottle was launched. Actually, it fell out of my belt because in my haste, I buckled the belt upside down! I ran for nearly 7 miles looking like a newb and no one said anything... or I couldn't hear them. This wasted another 30 seconds to retrieve the belt and then 2 minutes turning the belt the right side up and storing my gloves and bandanna.
Soon I crossed the finish line and there was Karen! We managed the post run meeting -- we're pros now.
I ran a solid 9:30 pace -- not bad for four weeks of running. I thought I would have done 10 minute miles. So this will serve as my benchmark until April when I will lose the 18 pounds and and at least 45 seconds off the pace. Hopefully, more though.
Having parked the car at 7:30, I had little time to spare because according to the printed literature, the race already started or I have twenty minutes. Karen changed her mind about seeing the start as she needed to give herself an injection in the stomach still in addition to emptying the car of her gear-- bike, pannier, cane, etc. Instead, she went straight to the coffee house and would meet me at the finish.
Buckling my hydration buck and tying a a banana to my head, I began my quick trot to the start. The weather was perfect -- sunny, low 40s at the start and 70 degrees by the time I finish the race. The course changed to a loop and the start was in downtown Tempe. Following the music and other bibbed racers, I made it to corrals where I was assigned corral 2 -- months ago when I signed-up for the full marathon I was optimistic of my training plan. Instead, twelve hour days left no time for training, therefore I switched to the half-marathon. Even then I was optimistic with 1:40 predicted finish. Um... no. I was only began training on December 18th and had 4 weeks under my belt. Does your belts fit?
No. Inactivity and Christmas packed on the pounds. 18 pounds over.
I intended to start back further but all the corrals were packed. Instead, I chose corral 5 which was at the injection. The national anthem was just wrapping-up when I arrived. Just in time for two calf stretches before the wave starts began.
With a new "old" playlist, my songs were from the 90s, I began my benchmarking run. It wasn't an all out run but I kept a good, consistent pace. Turned out my first two splits were equal. I stopped for a port a john at the 1/2 way mark. At a water stop, my water bottle was launched. Actually, it fell out of my belt because in my haste, I buckled the belt upside down! I ran for nearly 7 miles looking like a newb and no one said anything... or I couldn't hear them. This wasted another 30 seconds to retrieve the belt and then 2 minutes turning the belt the right side up and storing my gloves and bandanna.
Soon I crossed the finish line and there was Karen! We managed the post run meeting -- we're pros now.
I ran a solid 9:30 pace -- not bad for four weeks of running. I thought I would have done 10 minute miles. So this will serve as my benchmark until April when I will lose the 18 pounds and and at least 45 seconds off the pace. Hopefully, more though.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Let the Season Begin! P.F. Chang's Half Marathon
P.F. Chang's 1/2 marathon is next week and I hoped to squeeze in enough training to get me to the finish in a respectable time. Actually, it won't be respectable as long work hours left no time to train. Most of my training was done in the last 4 to 5 weeks with my longest run being 9 miles last week. Due to the sudden increase in mileage, or just running for that matter, I feel a planters fascia developing which placed more emphasis on the elliptical trainer.
This race does have me excited about training again and the upcoming season!
Health-wise: more on that later.
This race does have me excited about training again and the upcoming season!
Health-wise: more on that later.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
The follow-up Doctor's visit revealed an abnormal developed bladder combined with a couple other contributing factors that caused these bladder/other infections. It appears that I'll be having some minor surgery.
Conquering these long work hours and establishing a consistent workout schedule. is next on the agenda. Although I don't want to do it, I'll probably have to join the gym next my office. Why, you ask that I wouldn't want to have such convenience? I'm already spending 10+ hours a day at the office and seeing little variation in my life. The downtown YMCA provides the variation with a different geographic location, chance encounters and conversations with strangers, different types and backgrounds of people and it is a gym where people are there to workout rather than be seen. It is not designed to be a gym replicating a singles bar.
Conquering these long work hours and establishing a consistent workout schedule. is next on the agenda. Although I don't want to do it, I'll probably have to join the gym next my office. Why, you ask that I wouldn't want to have such convenience? I'm already spending 10+ hours a day at the office and seeing little variation in my life. The downtown YMCA provides the variation with a different geographic location, chance encounters and conversations with strangers, different types and backgrounds of people and it is a gym where people are there to workout rather than be seen. It is not designed to be a gym replicating a singles bar.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Leonard and Svolte, Its Like I Knew You
Arriving an hour early to the race, I locked my bike next to the rail station and headed to the Finish line to cheer on the Finishers and re-live my moment of crossing the Finish Line. The finishers chute, surrounded by packed viewing stands along with standing room only areas with four deep, roared with shouts and applause as athletes approached to the announcment, "YOU are an Ironman!" The range of emotions on athletes' faces was evident -- finishing for the first time, achieving a time or recalling the year of hard work paying-off, overcoming setbacks, appreciating family and friends -- just to name a few. Watching Ironman Live is difficult enough for me but watching Finishers live at the event is hard to keep back my emotion as well. You just want to join in and cheer them on. Lucky for me, I had a volunteer commitment, otherwise, I would be 'fanatic' in truest sense of the term by clapping, shouting and even crying.
The Intertactive Zone was located about 200 yards from the bridge where the runners turn towards the changing tents. The job is relatively simple: input an athlete's first or last name or bib number and provide the race pace information to the family or friend inquiring about their athlete. Most people wanted to know if their athlete's finished or approximately where they were located on the course. The problem with the information is that there is about a fifteen minute delay from when the athlete crosses the timing pads and when the data appears. If one is good with math, you can estimate where the athlete is by using their pace, the official race clock and when reported last.
So who is Leonard and Svolte? I have no idea. However, they do have a good friend or co-worker who was cheering them on. This guy constantly checked on their progress so much that we kept Explorer tabs open and dedicated to these guys. Voltte's and Leonard's buddy checked on their progress and, together with our help, we extrapolated the time to estimate where and when his buddies would pass certain places on the course. Then, off Leorand's and Svolte's buddy would run to cheer them on. Leonard and Svolte were not running together-- their friend was getting quite a work-out as well. In the end though, I know he saw one of his friends finish and he was very, very happy how he and I worked as a team in that we were within 30 seconds of our estimates -- he became part of his friend's race.
Overall, volunteering was fun and worthwhile even without the enticement of a registration place. I met interesting people: a twenty-year old Ironman who finished fourth, I believe, the previous year; a funny guy from Boston who had direct, blunt east-coast humor that I love; eager future Ironmen seeking advice which, I must admit, even with my one finish was a heady kind of thing.
"What is the best advice you could give to finish?" He asked.
"You will be amazed at what the human body can accomplish." Non-challantly I replied.
"Yea, that's what I've heard."
Another volunteer asked about the water temperature and planned to register for the IMAZ race because you didn't need a wetsuit.
I explained the water temperature was 56 degrees on our race day and some people had hypothermia during the race, even with a wetsuit. You may want to invest in a wetsuit. This kind of caught him by surprise, especially after discussing costs.
Premium was have a strong battery. Some members of the public asked to plug into our computers so they could recharge their drained batteries from tracking their athletes throughout the day. Other interesting aspects was the kindness of strangers who delivered sunglasses, tracker devices and other gear athletes dropped along the course. We had a table filled with various gear. If a bib number was provided, we or the kind person could deliver it to a volunteer who would return it to an athlete's gear bag.
If you know how much I love pizza, then being able to secure a free, whole Papa John's pizza surely made my night!
Yea, I do it again.
The Intertactive Zone was located about 200 yards from the bridge where the runners turn towards the changing tents. The job is relatively simple: input an athlete's first or last name or bib number and provide the race pace information to the family or friend inquiring about their athlete. Most people wanted to know if their athlete's finished or approximately where they were located on the course. The problem with the information is that there is about a fifteen minute delay from when the athlete crosses the timing pads and when the data appears. If one is good with math, you can estimate where the athlete is by using their pace, the official race clock and when reported last.
So who is Leonard and Svolte? I have no idea. However, they do have a good friend or co-worker who was cheering them on. This guy constantly checked on their progress so much that we kept Explorer tabs open and dedicated to these guys. Voltte's and Leonard's buddy checked on their progress and, together with our help, we extrapolated the time to estimate where and when his buddies would pass certain places on the course. Then, off Leorand's and Svolte's buddy would run to cheer them on. Leonard and Svolte were not running together-- their friend was getting quite a work-out as well. In the end though, I know he saw one of his friends finish and he was very, very happy how he and I worked as a team in that we were within 30 seconds of our estimates -- he became part of his friend's race.
Overall, volunteering was fun and worthwhile even without the enticement of a registration place. I met interesting people: a twenty-year old Ironman who finished fourth, I believe, the previous year; a funny guy from Boston who had direct, blunt east-coast humor that I love; eager future Ironmen seeking advice which, I must admit, even with my one finish was a heady kind of thing.
"What is the best advice you could give to finish?" He asked.
"You will be amazed at what the human body can accomplish." Non-challantly I replied.
"Yea, that's what I've heard."
Another volunteer asked about the water temperature and planned to register for the IMAZ race because you didn't need a wetsuit.
I explained the water temperature was 56 degrees on our race day and some people had hypothermia during the race, even with a wetsuit. You may want to invest in a wetsuit. This kind of caught him by surprise, especially after discussing costs.
Premium was have a strong battery. Some members of the public asked to plug into our computers so they could recharge their drained batteries from tracking their athletes throughout the day. Other interesting aspects was the kindness of strangers who delivered sunglasses, tracker devices and other gear athletes dropped along the course. We had a table filled with various gear. If a bib number was provided, we or the kind person could deliver it to a volunteer who would return it to an athlete's gear bag.
If you know how much I love pizza, then being able to secure a free, whole Papa John's pizza surely made my night!
Yea, I do it again.
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