I Get Mad, I Eat Spaghetti

What is it about pasta (or almost any carbohydrate, for that matter) that makes the world a better place? I especially crave pasta after a really bad day full of stuff going wrong. Curiously, I don’t eat carbs the night before most competitions (though I will have some plain oatmeal the morning of most events)Continue reading “I Get Mad, I Eat Spaghetti”

Note To The Athletic Wear Industry: Are We Invisible? Or Too Big For You?

I don’t make excuses and don’t provide explanations, reasonable or otherwise, for what I look like. But I’m asking the makers of workout clothes and footwear: why not us, too? You make nice things in bright colors and patterns for the “typical” athlete. Somehow, as the sizes get larger, the choices get smaller. Black andContinue reading “Note To The Athletic Wear Industry: Are We Invisible? Or Too Big For You?”

The Fix-It List

It never fails. Every weekend, there is a to-do list. Stuff to fix, take care of, buy, deal with, or otherwise handle. I like lists. I live and die by them when I work every day. I would rather not do the same on the weekends. But that’s how life works. This weekend’s list startedContinue reading “The Fix-It List”

The End (of the race season) Is In Sight—And Retirement Is Coming!

The final road race of the season is Monday. A 5K with what passes for hills here. I did it last year and was not ready for the elevation meltdown at the end. This year, with additional practice on bridges and my kickboxing routine, I hope to do better. I don’t race during the summerContinue reading “The End (of the race season) Is In Sight—And Retirement Is Coming!”

I Nailed The Trail (And Then Self-Cared With Fried Chicken)

I did my first 5K trail race this weekend. I finished second in the age group, but to be honest, there were only two of us in the group. And I was the third-oldest runner there. Conditions were cool, foggy, and smoky (out in a rural area where burning is a common way of clearingContinue reading “I Nailed The Trail (And Then Self-Cared With Fried Chicken)”

It’s Perfectly Cold Out There…So Where Is Everyone?

It was 38 degrees outside for my run this morning. Cold by our local standards. Not bad, according to the rest of the country, mostly either brushed or buried in snow, freezing rain, black ice, and/or temperatures with single digits and/or negative values. So where was everyone this morning? I was the only runner outContinue reading “It’s Perfectly Cold Out There…So Where Is Everyone?”

Three Weeks Of Work…Or Insanity?

This weekend starts the first of three competition weekends, and I don’t normally ever do three weeks in a row. I have no idea what I was smoking when I thought this was a good idea. First up is 60K cycling (20K, a 30-minute rest, then 40K) for the senior games. Next week is aContinue reading “Three Weeks Of Work…Or Insanity?”

Company’s Coming! Or, The New World Version Of Face Time With Family

Next weekend, we get to do something we have not done in a year and a half. We host a family member in our house. Funny how strange this is. Pre-COVID, I never would have thought about it, beyond the usual tidy up the place and make sure our visitor (my niece) will be comfortableContinue reading “Company’s Coming! Or, The New World Version Of Face Time With Family”

Crack Of Dawn Training: Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be

It’s back to the running, the road bike, and the pool at the butt crack of early morning. The foot is doing well (no bare feet, so no triathlon transitions yet, until after the 90th day post-surgery) and no trail running until late September. No swim fins, either, until the 90th day. But everything elseContinue reading “Crack Of Dawn Training: Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be”

Time Left in Rehab Hell: 48 Hours And Counting

Monday, 10 a.m. The last surgeon appointment for my foot. Seven days of steroids (to remove what little swelling is left) and we are done and basically good to go. I now have a matched set of titanium screws and plates, probably worth more than all the rest of me. And yes, I plan toContinue reading “Time Left in Rehab Hell: 48 Hours And Counting”