Monday/Tuesday

Monday worked from 7 AM to 5:30, dashed to a dinner party for 25 and then worked from c:30 to 10:30. No exercise.

Tuesday worked from 7 am to 6 and justed was too mentally shot to do anything but tomorrow is a new day and I will be out there at 6 am for an hour.

But I am still behind on reading and my Italian studying, having done none since last week.

A Domani

Sunday Walk, Swim

Did 4 mile walk in an hour and at the end stopped at the pool and swam a mile, as it was 90 and the pool was very refreshing. Worked on the phone the whole walk as work continues to interfer with life. I worked 70 hours last week and am still well behind but there are no more hours in the week to use. But I am getting closer to committing to the Dallas marathon.

Saturday walk

I have decided to take advantage of the fact that I had to work all morning and skip cycling this weekend to see if a two week break heals the nagging knee injury from "the Pedal change" incident.

The walk was uneventful although I passed the entire hour talking on the phone with my sister about IT issues as she works in that field. It certainly makes the time go faster. And after 12 miles on the road this week, my legs are getting their walking muscles back slowly. Thoughts of the Dallas Marathon have crossed my mind...

Friday Walk while blogging

A first.
I am typing this out as I walk.
There is a book I own, a novel by a Dutchman, that is written from the POV of a bike racer in a one day stage race.

This isn't quite the same but I used to email and text during the ny marathon and even call people.

So I am a mile into my 4 mile walk and all ready it's feeling easier than 2 days ago. Listening to Mahler's 5th symphony, conducted by Bernstein. I think Mahler was once conductor at the NY Phil, and of course so was Lenny. (So how obnoxious is that?!)

I love the 5th and we heard it live at the dallas symphony 2 weeks ago. Heard it for the first time 3 years ago and fell in love instantly. It is amazing and increably complex. I think even more so than Beethoven although it's a difficult comparison because of the years between them.

I can see why Lance wanted to come back, as I would have done the marathon again if I could have gotten my 8 am slot. Oh well.maybe another year. I will always treasure my 3 participation medals. And yes, the first year flying home I wore mine! As did other people.

I admit to being a creature of habit, as I always walk the same route when I do 4 miles. I also have a 6 mile route and an 8 mile and 12 mile one. I never do more than 12 miles before a marathon in practice. And I do the latter 3 weeks in a row as my long walk.

And the last two times on my route I have seen the same UPS driver in the same place, resting.

They always wave at me. Nice group of people.

Halfway point.

I am wearing the same sneakers that I have worn for the 3 marathons as well as all my training, so they have about 700-800 miles in them. But as worn as they are they are so comfortable and never give me blisters.

I think the sports story of the year is Lance. He will not admit it in the press but he is not playing to do anything but win. And win only one race. The tdf. I hope he does. And while his team mate Contrador has won all 3 great tours in the last 2 years, he will not be happy, as these guys know Lance. And as old as he is I bet they fear him. As well they should. It will be an amazing 9 months, but hey, I think dara torres' 100 meter leg on the relay was the fastest in history. She is 41. We shall see.

I have had not a minute this week that was not programmed with work or class or study or eating and sleeping. Been a tough week. I think I worked about 60 - 70 hours, and I need to work all weekend.

Last night on my way to Italian class a Ferrari Modena passed me, bright yellow, with it's 4 exhausts. Giving off a sound as beautiful as anything I hear. What a rush driving that must be. It was exciting to watch it stay next to me and then accelerate away like a flying saucer.

Last 1/2 mile.

Past my pool, which is still open and inviting since it has been 90 ogni giourno questa settimane.

I must say that studying Italian grammar is hard for me. I have no and have never had any memorization skills. Which is why at my advanced age I am shamed by watching people in my class who have barely been to Italy speak better tha I.

I will need to live there to pick this up.

Almost home, and my legs feel the burn as this is no casual walk. But they feel good. Although I bet we have seen the last of Marathon Lance for a while. No more running for him.

I have just run into the only neighbor on my block that I know and he was with another guy who is a cyclist and my speed. Even bikes up where I do. I have taken his number and will hope to bike with him. Good deal.

Well, home. And Mahler is still going as it clocks in at an hour and 10 minutes and my walk is always an hour.

Ciao!

Thursday Italian Lessons

No exercise on Thursday. Long week involved with very long hours. WIll walk on Friday. Haven't made the decision to bike or not bike on the weekend. My knee feels fine, but last Sunday I could still feel that it did not feel great. I may try it and if it still feels dodgy rest it the following weekend.

Wednesday Walk

So I set my alarm for 6 AM to walk for an hour before work, actually got up and just before I was set to leave I discoved my iPOD battery was dead. So I cancelled the walk, showered and went to work early again.the thought of walking for an hour sans music is not what I had in mind.

But I did walk for an hour after work, the first time I have walked as exercise since last year's NY marathon.

It doesn't burn as much calories as biking, but it is exercise. At 4 miles an hour.

And Bethoven was sublime.

Tuesday - Work Day

I am suddenly quite busy at work and went in at 6:30 AM today and left at 7PM and there really wasn't any time to exercise -- so I will be walking tomorrow morning, no ifs, ands or buts. Lance will officially announce his comeback plans in about a week. That should be exciting.

BTW, You are probably aware that there are now ads on my Blog. These are approved by me as I have allowed my blog to participate in targeted ads. I wanted to see how Google's AdSense worked and this is a real time tutorial -- as is most of this blog -- a learning experience for me.

My intent is to keep it going for one year in my bicycling life and then, in all likelihood, shut it down, as each year is probably pretty much more of the same.

Monday Rest Day

So I rested my knee today. Tomorrow I will either swim or walk for an hour. The temps are back in the 90's now and will be all week as we close our September with the usual warn week that is summer's last gasp here. What I look forward to most about walking for an hour is listening to classical music on my iPOD.

Another day another 50 miles

It was a very easy and reasonably fast 35 miles today, but I had 50 to hit home. I ran out of gas out there at 35 -- as I guess the dinner of Cheerios last night wasn't enough to fuel me up for the ride. But it was still relatively painless and uneventful. I didn't pass one rider and no one passed me for the 3 hours. I saw perhaps 3 or 4 riders out there. Not a lot.

Most riders on the opposite side of the road give the cyclists wave -although men more so than women. A lot of women seem to treat males cyclists as though we were radioactive or toxic. I don't think they are unaware of the cyclists wave. They also wear IPOD earbuds more often than men too -- another sign that says please don't talk to me.

I have heard from women that they don't like to ride with men because we are either too fast or two competitive. Funny, as I always get my butt kicked by all the women who do the rides from either bike store nearby. It is rare to see women riding alone, like I do, and overall I think cycling, like a lot of sports, is very male dominated, although I do see more women runners than men out in our neighborhood.

I always wave, and always say hi if I pass someone but I have noticed that the faster a person is who passes me the less likely they are to say anything. And they usually have earbuds on on too.

But like the code on the seas, other cyclists never fail to stop or ask if I need anything if my tire punctures on the side of the road.

Moose and Squirrel

I didn't post the last two days because I did no exercise. In fact I took the whole week off for one reason or another. Lose of light in the morning and evening, my Italian lesson on Thursday and a desire to rest my knee and not to bike.

But it was a perfect morning today: cool, little wind and bright sunshine, although the light is definitely a little flatter in Fall versus Summer as the Earth's tilts more on its axis.

Did a relaxed 50 miles today, on one water bottle, one banana and one gu gel. I hardly exerted myself, an still averaged 16 mph, which is near my top end. Near the end of my ride I passed one of the more ostentatious mansions on my ride, with a large bronze moose in the yard, lifesize. I thought about coming back at night with a sign that says "Sarah Spare ME!" HaHa.

Then a little later up the road was a squirrel that couldn't decide which way to go as my bike bore down on him. He finally went right as I zoomed passed him. Good thing for me.

Read a bad story about a former golfer that lives here in Dallas and is an announcer on TV -- who was hit my a trailer being towed by a truck who was an asshole and believed he owned the whole road. He's recovered but he broke several ribs, punctured a lung and had his arm crushed. A lady passerby helped him till an ambulance came while the pick-up driver did nothing.

That's every biker's fear around here. Dallas is the 3rd worst major city for bike accidents in the country. Lord knows what one and two are. (NY & LA?). Cyclists get killed here all the time.

My first speech in Italian class next week will be on biking in Italy. A domani.

Wednesday

Still resting my knee. Mowed the back lawn.
Since I am out tomorrow night with my italian lessons I need to do something, so I will walk for an hour, 4 miles before work.

It was pretty much this date a year ago that I went on the NY Marathon website and noticed that my track club had entered me, but neglected to tell or ask me, like they did a the year before.

Entry into the NY Marathon is by lottery. I made it through that way 34 years ago. I think there are 80,000 entries and they select about 35,000. Decent odds, and I made it in my first try. I missed the second year, but my track club called me in the middle of summer and asked if I still wanted to do it. I said yes, and they put me in. Then last year I missed again and the club never called, but on a lark I looked at my name on their website and I was entered. I was excited, and I had 7 weeks to train! I finished with about the same time as the other two: 6 hours.

You see I fast walk it. I can't run because of my herniated discs. The pain is just too great and lingers for two long and it gives me a strange hitch when I run sometimes, not that I run much.

So 4 years ago I came up with this plan to walk it at a little over 4 mph. There were no rules about walking it -- and they even had an early start, 2 hours earlier than the runners, so I would finish at "4 hours", along with the majority of folks, so I wouldn't be out there on my own with a cameraman following the last "runner" in.

While I don't consider myself "disabled", the fact is that my disc damage is not going to get better, so I lined up with other people who had disc issues, were in wheelchairs and on crutches. I was not one of the "fastest" there.

And it was a great event that first time. My cousin came to me me finish and it was 26 miles of smiles.

The second year they wouldn't let me start early because my time was so "fast" the year before, but I had joined the Achilles track club (for disabled runners, and I just wrote on my bib number, "OK for Early Start - Achilles" and they bought that at the start. That year I had learned to write my name on my shirt and everyone yelled, "Go Doug" for 6 hours. I walked with a former Olympic caliber athlete who had been a high jumper but after having her knees replaced could not run. We walked every step together, even though she had targeted 8 hours and we did it in 6.

Then last year I couldn't con my way onto the early bus but a very kind lady from Achilles, an angel, let me into the early start. It was another great race, and my cousin again met me at the end, but I decided that this was it. I couldn't be guaranteed an early spot, we'd had no rain for 3 years, and I "retired" from marathon walking.

But there is no greater single day sporting event for the amateur than this, IMHO. Seeing a million people or more all cheering is just wonderful. And seeing that finish line is priceless. It's at that point that I turn on my IPOD to The theme from Chariots of Fire.

Tuesday Rest Day

Still resting my right knee, and got home too late to bother with the lawn in back and it seemed too cold to swim. No motivation tonight. I know that the knee won't get better if I ride on it and I probably need several weeks to heal it.

Monday Rest Day

I took today off from cycling. Mowed the lawn. My knee is a little sore, from the pedal experiment. I will probably rest it all week and may swim instead.

My Fastest Ride solo - Ever?

I had nothing yesterday and the pedals felt heavy but today was just the opposite! I had my fastest 50 ever, with no drafting -- and finished with an average of 17 mph. I did use the wind strategically as it was blowing quite hard out there, the remnants of yesterday's tropical storm, and from the north to the south, so I rode into it for basically the first 30 and with it behind me the last 20. At mile 16 a rider came up from behind, Lane, and was sociable enough to ride with me for the next 14 miles. He can do 100 miles in 5 hours (he told me about his time -- 5 hours -- in the Hotter Than Hell ride), but he was happy to ride with me for the company. I never drafted him, but did increase my speed to keep up. We parted at mile 30 as he was going north and I was going south. At that point I was at an average of 15.6. With the wind behind me I averaged about 22 mph for the next 8 miles, hitting 27 at times. I ended the ride right at 17, which meant that I averaged almost 19 mph from when Lane and I had split.

The last 3-4 miles are all slightly downhill to my corner and with the wind I poured it on to keep the pace above 22, which helped me end right on a 17 mph average.

Why the difference from yesterday? I will never know.

Saturday Rain

We are about 260 miles from the gulf of Mexico and the outskirts of Hurricane Ike hit us earlier than expected this morning. It swept into the coat and Galveston at 2 AM this morning, about 4 hours ahead of schedule and it started raining here about 9 AM, also 4 hours ahead of schedule, and right at the 25 mile marker of my bike rally, the first annual Patriot Pedal for Project Independence, where 100% of the proceeds go to assisting wounded vets.

I don't normally do these rallies anymore, but since this started in my town, and the cause was so good, I went. Besides instead of having the police lead us out they had an Army Apache Helicopter lead us out, and that thing is way cool and ferocious. Nancy and I saw it take off last night from the parking lot in front of her store and it was amazing.

I had first planned to do 60 miles, and this morning revised it to 40, and along the route when it started to rain I headed home, and finished at 30. The roads were too slick and dangerous. My average today was a fairly high (for me) 16 + mph. Oh well. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice as the hurricane is heading north east, and will miss us by some distance. Fine by me.

Thursday/Friday Rides

Managed an hour after work on Thursday and an hour before work on Friday.

Tropical Storm Ike is due to hit the North Texas area tomorrow, so the Patriot Pedal bike ride I was planning on doing might get rained out. Unsure as of yet. Shame as the city of Southlake has a huge celebration this Saturday and the Italian Club has an outdoor festival downtown and both events looks to be problematic given the storm.

Wednesday Ride

No post yesterday as it rained almost all morning and day and I had a pre-Italian class last night. Yes, after living in Italy from ages 8-16 and traveling there about 30 times on vacations I have decided to improve my skills in speaking. I signed up for 13 weeks of lessons, an hour and a half a week, through Xmas. If it works out, I may continue through next year too, and surprise everyone in Italy with my new skills. Well, that's the plan.

I must admit that at 6 AM the thought furthest from my mind was getting on a bike when showers were expected all day, again. But as usual I am glad I did. I did no exercise for two days and had a business lunch on Monday, Tuesday and one scheduled for Wednesday as well as well as a business dinner -- so it was ride or else feel like a slug. So I rode.

I had a great ride, quite fast, as the pedals felt very light. Some days that happens. Some days the opposite happens.

OK, now for the biggest cycling story of the year: Lance Armstrong is going to make a comeback to ride in the TDF!! What a story!

More as the year unfolds for Lance.

Monday Off Day

I decided to rest today. I might have considered either swimming or walking for an hour, but it was raining when I left work. Will either bike, swim or walk after work tomorrow.

10 miles too far!

I ran out of gas today at about mile 60 today, about 10 miles from home, and while the last 3 miles were good (mostly downhill) I had very little in the tank from mile 60-67 today.

I decided to go for a 75 miler today as I had nothing better to do, and hadn't done the Kenneth Copeland ride in a year. (It goes past his mega church in Newark.) I was toying with the idea of an 85 miler, but at the decision point I bailed as I had little food left. I eat every hour and had all ready downed two gel packs, a bag of cashews mixed with dried cranberries and a PBJ sandwich. It wasn't enough, although I had another gel pack in the last half hour.

So I can see that my weekly training is really good for 60 miles or I need a different food program on the bike, or both.

But it was a fun ride and the wind wasn't too bad, although my allergies kicked in with avengence today. It wasn't pretty.

The most unusual I saw on the road today was three dead snakes -- two of them being at least three feet long and the other one about that length. It was rather strange, having gone the whole summer without seeing one dead of that length. Also saw a baby deer dead on the road. That's also a first out here in Texas. And...saw a live skunk on the side of the road that I surprised. Luckily I he was facing me and I think they spray from behind. But I was gone in a flash as I was rolling at 20 mph at that point, but I did see the back arch up.

Saturday 50

So after several months of training I have to admit that the 50 milers roll along pretty easily now, as compared to the start of the season. Tomorrow I may do 65 and a different route that I only do about once a year.

My knee held up today although it's not 100%. I did not bike all week with my last ride being the 50 on Monday, although I swam twice this week.

The only bit of adventure today was stopping to help a woman fix a flat, as she punctured just across the road in the opposite direction. They were three pretty fit women, and had all done the Hotter Than Hell a few weeks ago. And they were riding from Halthom City, which is quite a hike from where we were in Roanoke.

Thursday Swim

Swam for a half hour after work today and for the first time all summer the water was cold upon entry and it took 2 laps for me to feel warm, so the temp must have been around 82. Usually it's warmer than that at this time of year, but we've had a "cold" spell here, with temps in the 80's. Swim was fine although I had to adjust my goggles at least 4 times as water was leaking into them, and that's no good when you are wearing contacts. Need to make a new mix tape though as I am wearing out Grieg and Bruce.

windy Wednesday

The huricane will miss us but the winds swirling ahead of it are here, along with cool temps, in the low 80's. I am off the bike till Friday and blew off swimming tonight. Will swim tomorrow. The season is over, in any event.

1800 miles in 3 months

I went back and charted my miles since the first week of June and give or take a few miles I'm at 1800 for the 3 month period, averaging about 150 a week, although there are two weeks in there, in Iowa and Italy, where I did close to 500 miles each week. So more than half of my miles during the 12 week period were done in two of those weeks alone. I may be off on my math somewhere!

Tuesday Rest Day

I have decided to call today a rest day, and will rest my Knee pretty much till Friday, although it's not giving me any pain today, which is good. And I didn't want to swim 2 days in a row, although there's no soreness in my shoulder either. Will swim tomorrow and Friday. Thursday I may walk. More on that in another post.

back in the pool

Had nothing to do this afternoon, and the the cleaning ladies were due in, and since I don't like to be home when they are, and Nancy was going to work she suggested that I go swimming. I thought about it and decided, why not. It was a gorgeously warm day, and a nice relaxing swim would be welcome.
My 25 meter pool was empty when I arrived, so I had it all to myself, whivh is just delightful. As I swam my first few laps and looked at the bottom of the pool, I realised just how correct David Hockney's Swimming pool paintings were. I remember David Geffen owned one. If I had millions I would own one too.

I swam to my favorite mix tape of Greig and Born in the USA. It's lasted the longest of all my swim tapes. It's a good mix of great paced songs plus great classical tunes.

Labor Day

Did a very nice easy 50 miles today at 14 mph. No sweat and very little pain. A walk in the park, and finished strong. Saw two bike groups out there today, both going the opposite direction. Most of the group bike rides are too fast for me, which is a shame as I wouldn't mind the company of a peleton once in a while. The bike shop near my company in New Jersey used to run multiple rides for people of all speeds. I rode in the 14-16 mph group and enjoyed it. Here they generally have a very fast group and a fast group. I tried explaining this to the manager of the local bike store but he believed everyone was fast enough to ride in the 18 - 20 mph average group. I beg to differ, but he didn't buy my argument. I have put together groups of cyclists over the past 20 years that I have cycled, but either they move away, or I move away.