WOW, that's all I got....

WOW, what a weekend. My girlfriend set a PR amongst the most talented in the nation at the half.
It started with helping my roommate celebrate his 30th birthday. Adrienne looked amazing and as usual I was proud to have her on my arm. I think she always looks great, even when she's crusted with salt on her face, the mark and taste of hard work. But she was dressed to the nine's straight out of the results of if Express and J. Crew had a baby. She left early after dinner and then the rest of us went to a bar. I stayed for a beer, couldn't handle the smoke. The next morning I went to the marathon expo while she went to the elite runners meeting. At the expo I met and chatted with Bruce Glickin author of several running based fiction novels. I'm going to start "Slinger Sanchez," tonight. I went to the Aero's booth and won four tickets, we invited Bill and Dana Sue to join us. Will be stopping by our favorite sushi joint Crave either before or after.

Saturday night was also the VIP pre race dinner where we sat at a table with one of Adrienne's local teammates. Then it was home for an early night so we put Eddie Izzard on and then headed to bed as reveille was at 03:45. Sunday morning came way to early and I was not to happy to see it. After arriving and setting up the club tent we headed inside. I was nervous as she took her coach up to the elite area. SHe had put so much of her heart into this performance that I wanted things to go great. John my Tri buddy that rode in with us was a great distraction. We snapped a few pictures of her warming up before the race. The gun went off and it was stand a wait. We headed to the finish line after both waves went off. She did awesome and after the race we went for her cool down run and my first run since the stress fracture.

I chatted with Kim (another fantastic runner/ Triathlete after the run and she helped me pick a Tri to sign up for. After our run Adrienne wanted a massage. While she was getting a rub down, I got chatty with Lydia Kurgat. Had no idea she was a top Mizuno runner. She invited Adrienne and I to come visit and run with her in Africa, we exchanged emails and we will be going some day soon. After the race I got friendly with the People at the Parkinson's Society. They fed us beer and I made a small donation in the clubs name. When we started to get tired we went over to the Hyatt to Bill and Dana-Sues' room, and she took a shower while I napped in the chair. Sunday night the Woodlands Running Club had it's post marathon party at the Goose. I was so happy for everyone. I talked to Michael and will be picking up the bike on Friday night for Saturday morning's bike ride. Looking forward to training this week.

A final note, I ran my first run today. IT FELT GOOD! See you on the trail, or on the street.

"What the Hell is a game face anyways?"

Famous quote by Bobby "I'll choke you" Knight. Yet another controversial Tech ex-coach with a penchant for "creative" discipline. So what the hell's a game face anyways? I've been trying to get Adrienne to write about this for a while but she wouldn't bite. The reason I am pondering the game face is that this week I've gotten back to my old self. The two swim workouts have been exquisitely tiresome and riding my bike has been more exhilarating with the prospect of a clean bill of health and switching over to a road bike. Hopefully with some good news from the Doc tomorrow I will be logging my first run in a long, long, long, long, long, long, time. It helps having the girlfriends unwavering support which keeps the momentum going. She even thinks I can pull of the biker geek gear. Then it is marathon weekend. I am looking forward to breaking out the "Fast Chic Shirt." No game face for me just going to yell my head off for my Girl and you other 30,000 nut jobs. Keep running Houston.

Tired and Happy...

Tonight I had my first workout in the pool with Bill. I had forgotten how great it feels during and especially after a really hard workout. The last time I broke a sweat was Thanksgiving weekend in the final race of the Montgomery County Triple. It just felt so great to be moving again. About halfway through the workout I felt my arms start to tingle and burn. It was awesome to have a ways to go and not be sure if I could make it. I felt like I was in the middle of doing sixty quarters. My goal is to be able to get two of these a week in. Might just have to start with once a week and build up.
The nice thing about the pool was that I could put it all out there and not have to worry about things like being on the bike clipping in then taking a fall. I was able to focus on the workout. For now the orb has been emptied, the clock reset, and the demons satiated. They'll be back again soon, but for now, here I sit happy and tired.

Revenge of the Knee. Zen edition.

Today was a painful day. Woke up to my alarm and greeted the first alert with a painful knee, the kind that only seems to go away with more sleep. I over did it yesterday and I am paying for it today. Couple that with sending my roommate out on his first run of the year and it's not been an enjoyable experience. I feel like I let him down, because the best I could do was set him up with an interval routine on my Garmin. It served as a reminder of the things this injury has taken away from me. In my ever expanding search for happiness using a zen driven compass, life keeps throwing magnets from not so random corners of my plain.
So as I sit here contemplating the events that led me to this moment in time typing on my computer drinking green tea, I can turn my mantra on its' head. From why me? To, why not me? What is the gift that this moment of clarity brings? I have lost my ability to go and run temporarily. I have been given the opportunity to develop other mechanisms for eliminating the stresses of the day. I have been given time to just sit and be. The greatest blessing that pain can give us is that it forces us to be here and now. If you are in pain and acknowledging it, for a brief second you are zen. You are in the moment. You are not thinking. You are not doing. You are being. So say it with me, "at least I can still feel the pain."

Dedicated to Chris and Andy, two guys who shouldn't be able to run but do, and do it very well.

What the hell is a game face?

Famous quote by Bobby "I'll choke you" Knight. Yet another controversial Tech ex-coach with a penchant for "creative" discipline. So what the hell's a game face anyways? I've been trying to get Adrienne to write about this for a while but she wouldn't bite. The reason I am pondering the game face is that this week I've gotten back to my old self. The two swim workouts have been exquisitely tiresome and riding my bike has been more exhilarating with the prospect of a clean bill of health and switching over to a road bike. Hopefully with some good news from the Doc tomorrow I will be logging my first run in a long, long, long, long, long, long, time. It helps having the girlfriends unwavering support which keeps the momentum going. She even thinks I can pull of the biker geek gear. Then it is marathon weekend. I am looking forward to breaking out the "Fast Chic Shirt." No game face for me just going to yell my head off for my Girl and you other 30,000 nut jobs. Keep running Houston.

Up and running, well cycling at least...soon to be swimming.

I've come to an understanding and a peace with the fact that I may never run another marathon. That's probably not true because I have unfinished business in Chicago, and a DNF in the upcoming Houston Marathon. I didn't run the race that I wanted in Chicago, and was thinking that it would be my triumphant return. But after discussing things with my coach, he feels I need a little more time to really get where I want to be. After some deep sole searching, I have decided that with the cross training necessary to rebuild and rehab my fractured knee, naysayers be damned, I am going to do a sprint Triathlon.
A few years ago I read a great novel called, "The Alchemist," by Paulo Coelho. The premise being that if one is true to ones own journey he will encounter the right people at the right time to help you on your way. I feel like I'm on the path. Especially after this weekend. I had the opportunity to witness the birth of two future running legends one won her first Marathon in Kingwood, and an eleven year old run her first half as well. While waiting for them to make the turn, I met a compassionate individual that is going to loan me one of his road bikes to train on. A fellow Woodlands Running Club member and Iron Man enthusiast volunteered a bike knowing nothing about me other than my need. It might not seem like much but it has saved me from investing a thousand dollars or more into something I might do once and say to myself, "Self, what the hell where you thinking?"
For the past week I have managed to knock the rust off of my long neglected mountain bike. Starting out slow and building a firm base. Thirty minutes every other day. After church today was my third ride and I clipped in for the first time. Felt good top be one with the bike again. I decided to ride along the pipeline on the dirt road next to it. The where several puddles, and I avoided the first few. Then I said what the heck. I hit every puddle I could and had a blast doing it.