Good clean fun

Cross-lake skiing with my dog and some friends.

Some melting left the trails in poor condition so we went for a shoosh along the lake shore where the snow was fair.

Sunshine, 25 degrees, smiles.

Denny, me, Steve.

Have a Happy New Year.

Good days on the ski trails

I had a big shat-eat'n grin on my face.

The sun was out, the snow was fresh, and my knee was fine.
I cross country skied 5 miles on Wednesday and 4 miles on Thursday.
Followed by some preventive icing and elevation.
It was a very merry day indeed.
Very minor stiffness today...a day of rest.
Maybe a few minutes of water running at the Y this evening.


Waiting with the toys.


On our way.

Better and Brighter

Thank you all gobbs and tons for your nice and encouraging comments. They really helped my attitude and outlook.

My knee is coming around quite well.
I'm going up and down stairs pretty normally and pain free.
I've been on the stationary bike a few times a week and that's going well too. Range of motion is beyond 90 degrees and progressing.
I managed to gimp my way through a few yoga classes by just skipping any extreme right leg bending. No problems.
And...
Drum roll please...

I'm going cross country skiing today. The trails are in good condition so I plan to ski some short loops on the flats just to feel things out. I plan to wear a knee pad just in case. There is also a dog-friendly loop so I'll be taking Pitchka out for a long overdue run/ski. Pictures later.

Many thanks to you all.

Have a Merry Christmas.

Walk, don't run...

I was hoping for this...


But the doctor said this...



And this...



My post-op exam and consult went...

Good: Healing up well. No more clicking and grinding in my knee. No pain. Normal swelling and fluid build-up. Plan on 2-3 months rehab. Swim, aqua-running, walk, stationary bike, and cross country ski (late season). Maybe strength training in February.

Bad: No long distance running, ever. No more Ironman's, ever. No running down hill, ever. Feeling kinda bummed out right now.

Ugly: I have several pairs of running shoes that need a home. Mens, Size 8.5 neutral. Let me know if you want them or they'll go to a charity.

The upshot is that this latest knee fix should last me 20 years if I don't run. 10 years or less if I do run. At this moment, I plan to do everything but run and get strong and fast on the bike.

Glory Days: There was a summer back in the mid-90's that I managed to stay in the top 10 of my age group throughout a 13-race mountain bike series. It was great fun and I was the rookie on the team. I'm gonna try to get that mojo back.
Right now, I've got to ice and elevate.

Two weeks after surgery. Still swollen.

Knee-peat

1983 - Motorcycle accident with a severe impact to the front of my right knee.

1992 - After a ski season with knee pain and swelling, had a 'lateral release' surgery to free up my kneecap and allow it to track centered on the joint.

2001 - More knee pain and swelling with clicking and grinding. Arthroscopy for cartilage removal from the back of the kneecap and 'micro fracture' procedure to fill in the area of missing cartilage.

2008 - November 11, Kneecap began severely clicking during a short run. Walked home. Swelling and stiffness for 2 days. No running for 3 weeks. Clicking all the while.
- November 30, walking the dog, knee locked up and could not straiten it. Stiff and sore.
- December 1, exam and x-rays revealed nothing. All bones and knee joint looked fine. Knee still stiff and not bending easily nor able to straiten it.
- December 3, MRI revealed a piece of cartilage hanging loose from the back of the kneecap and a small piece of cartilage lodged in the knee joint.
- December 4, Arthroscopic surgery to remove the cartilage pieces and then an incision to reflect (expose) the back of the knee cap and fill in the nickle-size void with a piece of plastic.
- December 6, back at work with a stiff limp.
- Today, very minor pain, still swollen but walking fairly well.

This is the third surgery on my right knee. I hope this third time is the charm.

The good news is that the recovery is fast. Swimming, biking, hiking and skiing are still in my future.
The bad news is that this ski season is shot.
The real bad news is no more long runs or running down any declines whatsoever. Only short runs on the flats if at all.




My right knee before surgery.


Before surgery, leg bathed in betadine.


My knee today.

I had the spinal (numb from the waist down) so I could watch the whole procedure on a video screen and interact with the doctors and nurses in the operating room. That was kinda fun. I managed to crack a few jokes and share some stories of travel and triathlons. Total surgery time was about 70 minutes.
I have a post-op exam this coming Thursday and will discuss my rehab PT and what my future with triathlons will be.
Anybody need a good swimmer or biker for a relay?

Tracks in glitter and a dog

Chipmunks.


Dog.

December is coming

Oh, December is here already? Yikes, where does the time go?

Happy Thanksgiving

Wild turkeys in an aspen grove.

Yogi? is that you?

Yogi Bear and Wylee Coyote.

I went for a hike today and found these prints along a creek. Most likely were set in the mud on Tuesday or Wednesday after a wet snow had fallen. I still paused and looked around carefully and kept looking over my shoulder until I got back to my truck.

A little Sugar Coating

And a little funny for you:

What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

and

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But ,

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

And,

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far ass kissing will take you.

A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty, that while Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, its the Bullshit and Ass- kissing that will put you over the top.

S....S.....S.....snoooooooooow!

My commute today was a lot of white


Eleven inches by noon and still coming down.


145 Elk coming down out of the snow.


Sniff, Sniff...


An opening in the storm.

Got cold feet but warm under a blanket of fresh snow.

Another Dog Day

I'm so lucky.
I get to bring my dog to work.
She likes "working".


On Haystack Mountain.

We saw a coyote and found some bear poop today.



It doesn't get much better than this.

Lunch Break

Wow, the weather is holding out so my work project just keeps going. You never know when the snow will fly at 9,900 feet so I'm busier than a cat in a sand box.

My work day starts at 6AM (there were snow flurries this morning) and ends sometime around 6PM. I got caught on the mountain Monday evening in a rain/sleet storm and had one hell of a ride down a slippery slope of mud and boulders but made it out unscathed. Lucky me.

Lots of wildlife out and about. Mule deer, Wild turkey's, and...



85 Elk in a meadow far, far away.

Staying warm and dry...for now.

Thin Air

Just another day on the job at 9,900 feet.



Roadless area of Gunnison National Forest, Colorado

Life is Beautiful...and work isn't so bad

I got settled into my new project and the view from my "office" is pretty nice.



It snowed above 8,000 ft. last Friday and it's 25 degrees this morning.
Oh, what shall I do today?
Hike?
Bike?
Run?
Whatever, there's cold beer and a hot tub at the end of the day.

Today

'nuff said

How much is a Ba-zillion?

A Billion? Hmmmm, let's see...

If you sat down to count from one to one billion, you would be counting for 95 years.

A tightly-packed stack of new $1,000 bills totaling $1 billion would be 63 miles high. In comparison, jet planes fly at 30,000 - 40,000 feet (5.7 - 7.7 miles high).

About a billion minutes ago, the Roman Empire was in full swing. (One billion minutes is about 1,900 years.)

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of it's releases..

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes,
at the rate our government is spending it.


While this thought is still fresh in our mind...
Consider New Orleans.... with some simple division and a little sarcasm…

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) asked Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans. What does this number mean?

A. If you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.
B. Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.
C. Or... if you are a family of four... your family gets $2,066,012.

How much is $700 Billion?

My idea to finance the Bailout

Let the oil companies step in and put up a loan to Wall Street.
I'm not an economist and I tend to see things rather simply. Like most men.

There are 5 big American oil companies out there that have billions in equity and revenue.

2007 Equity
Shell (Royal Dutch Shell), - $124 Billion
ExxonMobil, - $122 Billion
BP - $93.6 Billion
ConocoPhillips - $89 Billion
Chevron - $77 Billion

Total --- $505.6 Billion

And you know these numbers will be much higher for 2008.

Let these guys offer a low interest loan and handle the whole deal. Leave the Federal Government (read as all of us) out of it.
I don't think it would effect the price at the pump so it's a win for us and the oil companies. We get indirectly involved by already having paid at the pump the past 3 years and these oil companies can get their profit from their loan to Wall Street instead of us. Heck, the price at the pump may even drop a bit...maybe.

Where's the down side? Seriously?

Autumn off season

Ah yes, here it is the first day of Autumn and my off-season starts today. Well, I think I really started a couple weeks ago but now I have a plan. A very loose plan but a plan none the less.
I've not done any structured training or racing since IM Canada. Just staying active and doing whatever I feel like doing.



My running needs work. No secret here. I've griped about my weak running a few times and now is the time to curb my whimpering a bit and do something about it. So for the next few months I'll be running and mountain biking and if I happen to be near a pool somewhere, I may throw in a little swim or water running. Oh sure, I'll be doing some strength training and yoga along the way too.
What do I mean "if I happen to be near a pool...?"
Well, I have a new work assignment coming up for the next 2 months and it's in a remotely populated area in NW Colorado. Lots of dry, rocky terrain. Perfect for running and mountain biking. If it snows, I may even ski a bit.
Imagine those scenes from the Rocky IV movie where Rock gets sent to Siberia for training before his fight with Ivan Drago (Dolf Lundgren).
Keep it simple but keep it quality.



Well, I gotta pack up the truck, load up my dog, spend my paycheck on a tank of diesel, and head west.
Hi yo!

Ya gotta read her blog

Cuz I got nothing new right now.
I know some of you read Speedy Speed Racer's blog and if you haven't, you are missing some great stories of adventures in multisport chocked full of inspiration, tons of humor, biting sarcasm, and laced with plenty of cursing.
Her recent post about a little bike ride in New Hampshire is captivating and will make you want to join her on the next one.
I've told her she should publish her stories as a book. Lucky for us, her blog is always open to drop in on and read. So go ahead.
There's a possibility that she'll hate me for this prop. I've never met her, and maybe that's best, but can't wait to read more.

Here's a couple lines from her blogs. You can't help but like this woman:

“The good kind of crazy," they say. I say, "You got yourself into this stupid mess, so now you have to get yourself out of it." Just get to the finish or die trying, but always finish what you've started!

I came home so sick of myself, that I swore that I was going to quit for a year. I was going to spend a whole year NOT drinking and doing whatever the hell I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. I was going to train as hard as I could, and then I was going to do an ironman. And for once everything seemed to be going right. I raced all the time, and all over the place. This was my fourth marathon in a calendar year. I even started winning some stuff, taking a handful of age group wins and even a course record.

...I do this stupid shit to myself all the time, and I have that confidence that I can fall back on knowing that I’ve survived my own stupidity before, so I can survive again

And she has survived...and she keeps getting better, stronger, faster...a badass triathlon/biker chick.

Testing...1....2....3

I spent the past week doing nothing physical and the inactivity was beginning to get me a tad bit stir crazy by Friday and I thought I better do something to stave off the jitters.
And just as I had this thought, I got an email from the bike shop that Cervelo was going to be on site with a truck load of bikes to test ride.

OH JOY! a fix for my restless body syndrome.

I suggested this opportunity to girlfriend and she was up for it so on Saturday morning, we got on our bikes and rode an ez 12 miles to the bike shop. A perfect warm up ride.

Here's what I found.
I took each bike on a 5 mile loop that had some hills and flats.

First up:

The P3C is a solid TT bike and everything about it is straight foreword efficient speed. Every pedal stroke sent me ahead with solid responsiveness. Imperceptible side flex and like a stealth arrow on fast descents...scary fast, the way I like it.

Second:

The SLC-SL is a snappy small framed and responsive switchblade that responded to my subtle movements and immediate take offs from every pedal stroke. Stiff and strong. A think this would be a great criterium bike that could jump through the smallest gaps and leave the rest blinking at what just happened.

Third:

The R3-SL is the stiffest thing on 2 wheels. You talk about a billy-goat for climbing hills. Every gram of pedal power propelled me up the hills and the Sram Red groupo is the shnizzle. If I were ever to do a mountain stage, this would be my first bike choice. Stiff, strong and LIGHT! I was told that the R3, medium size frame, could be built out under 14 pounds and one has been built out at under 10 pounds. WTF!? less than 10 pounds!? Somebody call a lumberjack, I've got wood.

Oh sure, my legs were still a bit tired from being only 6 days past IM Canada but I hardly noticed it on these great bikes.
The 12 mile ride home on my old Kestrel 200 was when I noticed my cooked legs...

Can I get a beer and pizza here please? I'm a recovering ironman and need my fix.

IM Canada Race Report

The gist of it:

13:38.23: Slower than expected but satisfied.

Swim: Cold and shivering at the exit and through mile 10 on the bike.

Bike: Sunny and beautiful. Challenging climbs and 40+ mph descents.

Run: My weakness. Ran out of gas but no leg cramps = win.

Transitions: Totally whacked. Oh well.

Detailed race report:

Swim. 1:06

The water was a bit chilly, about 68 deg. F., and I only had my sleeveless wetsuit. The first 2 miles were OK and went nearly as expected. My plan was to pick it up the last 0.4 miles and finish fast but I was quite cold and my arms and shoulders were stiff from the exposure. I had the energy and the will to go faster but I just couldn't get my arms to turn over any faster. I exited the water just fine and got wetsuit stripped, grabbed my T1 bag and headed for the changing tent.

I was shivering like a leaf in a windstorm. My feet were nearly numb and my hands were too stiff to function properly. “Where are my socks?” “Ah, forget ‘em, I can’t get them on anyway.” It took me forever to just get my bike shoes on, helmet, gloves, and zip up my jersey. I couldn’t get the zipper to line up because my hands were shaking too violently. I desperately wanted to get on my bike so I could warm up but my body would just not move how I wanted it to.

T1. 10:48. Horrible. I could have taken a nap but I was shaking too badly to relax.

Bike. 6:19

I was so frigg’n cold I practically coasted the first 10 miles while I ate and hydrated (stick with my plan no matter what). By mile 20, I was getting warm and feeling good and settled into my pace. The sun was shining and eventually, I began to sweat. It felt so good. Hydration was right on.

The bike route was spectacular with beautiful scenery, some challenging climbs, and some screaming fast descents. I love going fast and caught myself going 40 mph and topped out at 43 mph on the last long descent from Yellow Lake. What a gas.

I think I fell a little behind on calories cuz I felt my energy levels getting low. I gulped down my last gel with some Gatorade about 3 miles from T2.

T2. 9:02. What the hell? I didn’t like the layout of the transition area. It was just too damn far from T2 bag, to changing tent, and back out to the run course. It seemed like about a quarter mile lap around a track. Oh well, same handicap for everyone.

Run. 5:52.

The clouds were beginning to thicken and gray skies were on the horizon. Yes! It was cooling down. I was about 2 miles into my run when the crowd along Main Street began to erupt with cheering and applause…for me? Wow, that was so wonderful. I basked in the excitement for a brief moment when I saw the pace car coming and the first pro male was coming into town on the opposite side of Main Street from me. Bryan Rhodes from New Zealand was taking home the win.

My plan to run/jog between each aid station went well for the first 6 miles. No leg cramps and my HR was on target. Then I felt my energy dropping and I was running out of gas. It began to rain lightly and it felt good. I walked every incline and jogged every decline and walked through each aid station. I was sinking fast and couldn’t get my HR above 130. Crap, now what? At the halfway turn around, I grabbed my special needs bag, downed my liquid vitamin pack and tried to run again. Slowly, I felt some energy return but I still had to walk the inclines. The rain was light and steady now and still felt good. I started drinking cola at mile 14 and alternated with water or soup and gels to mile 24. At mile 18, it was getting dark and the street lights were on and reflecting off the wet pavement and mirrors of puddles. It was quite pretty.

I was still warm and by mile 24, I felt some relief so I tried to pick up my pace…and I did. It was that feeling of knowing I would indeed finish that came over me and noticing the spectators were still lining the streets and cheering for me. They were calling my name and encouraging me to “keep it up, you’re gonna make it.” Then I heard a familiar bell…a cow bell! I turned the corner at Main and Westminster and there she was, screaming my name and clanging that cow bell. My Iron Sherpa/girlfriend jumped off the curb and ran with me for 2 blocks and ringing that cow bell all the while. Very cool.

I had to continue on the last mile by myself to the final out and back along the lake front. Making that last turn and seeing the glow of lights at the finish banner was glorious. The light rain was still streaking down and the reflection of neon lights and street lights off the wet pavement was heavenly. All my discomfort and pain was gone, my breathing was easy, my feet were suddenly light and I was weightless. Bathed in the warm glow of the finish chute, the crowd noise was deafening, yet I could hear my name from the loudspeakers as I grabbed the finish banner and yawped.

Ironman Canada celebrity sightings.

Michael Lovato.

Peter Reid.

It's all Good.

Wow, thanks tons for all your nice comments and well wishes. I know I'll be thinking of you all at some time during the race. I intend to have some fun and race my ass off. Those two things always go together with me. It's all great fun.
I've come up with a few mantras I might use during the race:

I am Jason Lezak
BodyGlide makes my complexion look great.
Snot running down my nose is cool...here, have some (wipe, flick).
Feel the aero, be the arrow.
Powerbar or PBJ? Yummy in my tummy.
I'm so photogenic
That post-race beer is gonna taste really good
Light feet, quick feet, this is sweet

Yeah, I'm a little punchy right now.
I finished my last hard swim this morning and I am so ready for this Ironman. Six and half months of training. Completed all but 3 workouts. I have my plan A and B and my coach has done a damn good job training me. We did IM Switzerland together. Trained in Italy together and now we're gonna race IM Canada together! What a blast this is gonna be!
I think his wife suspects something.


Coach Kris and me. Zurich 2007.

This adventure is far from finished. It continues and grows from day to day. And so much like life, in it's exuberance, will always succeed in overflowing the narrow limits within which man thinks he can confine it. -Jacques Cousteau-

Peace and blessings to you all and thanks again for all the love.

I Feel Like a Number...

Flights to and from Vancouver BC Canada? Check.
Rental car? Check.
Iron Sherpa (a.k.a. girlfriend)? Check.
B&B four blocks from race site? Check.

Race Bib Number, 1164.

Taper is going good and I'm all giddy and 10 days from race day

More later

Ahhhhh, taper time...and frosty amber nectar

It's my first day of taper and I'm changing my diet to include more liquids...

Nearly 160 years after it was first brewed, Schlitz -- "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous" -- is making a comeback. Working from notes and interviews with old brew masters, Pabst Brewing Co., the brand's current owner, has recreated the classic beer's old formula.

Good news like this just makes life seem a little bit sweeter.
Pace yourself and enjoy in moderation.

I'm cooked...

This is my last week of long and hard training before the taper begins for IM Canada and I'm feeling pretty shredded right now.
My legs are cooked, my lungs are burnt, and any remaining muscles that have a hint of strength left, are being sucked dry by the heat and humidity that takes my sweat rate to it's maximum....just over a half gallon per hour. No kidding. I perspire about 4 pints per hour during a hot training ride or run. I have to drink every 2 to 3 minutes just to break even.
On that note. My swim this morning sucked donkey kong because I was still dehydrated from my brick last night. I was about 3 pounds underweight (water weight) after my swim. Lesson learned.
I can't believe I have to weigh myself every other day to keep track of my hydration level. What a pain in my ass. I sweat like a honeymoon couple in July on a feather bed. Gad!
Another beer here please! and keep'm come'n.
Otherwise I'm hanging tough and looking forward to the race.

I got a little pick me up from a tri-buddy who did IM Switzerland with me last year. I had no idea this picture existed. I think his wife took it while I was basting myself in transition with BodyGlide before donning my wetsuit.
It was the power of the platinum speedo torpeedo (EQ Swimwear) that got me through a good swim....after that, a couple things went wrong on the bike and my run was mostly walking....dehydration = leg cramps = walk, hobble, jog, repeat.

Warning: Rated 'R' for RACEY!


You don't want to look but you can't help it.






4 days to taper time.

Good Morning Swimmers

Just another beautiful 6AM lake swim.






And they're off


Strong and steady


Right on course


Rescue dogs. All swimmers accounted for.