After such a fabulous mid-week run, I was of course selected by the karma deities to have a difficult weekend.
I knew I was in trouble when I got out of bed Saturday morning. My quads hurt, my hips and lower back were tight… even my shoulders hurt. It was not going to be a fun morning. But I grabbed my towel, water bottle and a magazine and headed downstairs to do my hour on the elliptical trainer. I couldn't get my cadence over 186 without feeling like I was in a sprint and usually I can zip along in the high 190s. Oh well. We do what we can, right? I did 30 minutes, took a little walk break, tried another 30 minutes and was bored silly after 15. So I took another walk break, did my last 15 and was done with that portion of my modified marathon program.
I went back upstairs, played with the bunny for a few minutes (she's fascinated by my running shoes), grabbed my fuel belt and was off to the trails! Surely, I thought, running would prove to be a little easier than elliptical, if only from a psychological standpoint.
Surely not.
Every concrete-legged step felt like it was it was going to be my last. Nothing hurt, but I felt like I had woken up on the wrong planet-- one with a much bigger gravitational pull than my friendly Earth. But there was nothing to be done but clump along, slow and clumsy around the loop, hills and all. My original plan had been to do only one loop, then go up to Memorial Park and back, but I changed my mind and simply did the loop again in the opposite direction. Then I tacked on an extra mile so I could hit my mileage goal and went home.
Yuck. For such a beautiful fall day, that sure was a miserable run.
But I thought surely a nice icing session followed by a hot shower, massage and stretching session followed up with all my favorite menthol creams and gels plus a few supplements and a good night's sleep would fix me up for Sunday, right?
Surely not.
The next day I was hobbling around like someone had put tacks in my slippers. But hey, a little spin session always helps loosen things up, right?
So I set up the bike on the trainer, not without some difficulty because Dan had used it with his bike earlier in the week and now the settings were off. But I got that fixed and then thought I'd set up my DVD player and use my new Spinerval video. Well, somehow I neglected to make the mental connection that a TV manufactured in the early '90s just isn't equipped to work with a DVD player. Duh. Have I really had that little TV for so long? Where does the time go?
And since by now I was of no mind to move operations to the living room, I stayed low-tech and popped in a tape instead. I did a lot of slow steady spinning-- all my legs were willing to give me-- and tried to tell myself that it was good for me. And it probably was because even though I decided to call it a day after 90 minutes, I feel much better today. And I've ordered an adaptor for the DVD player, too. So it wasn't a loss by any stretch.
My favorite guy was working the massage booth at Central Market when I went to get some lunch after my spin session and he cleared up a lot of the problems in my neck and back, which helped me sleep a little better last night. He was even able to do some work on my hips in spite of the limitations of a standard chair massage.
I had a nice walk with Dan in the evening and finished off the weekend with a little writing and a half hour session of stretching and using the foam roller.
So here it is Monday and I feel pretty good. Not one hundred percent, but good enough to go out and see if I can ruin all this progress with a run later. We triathletes are a crazy bunch!
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 1 hour elliptical, 11 mile run
Sunday: 90 minute spin, 3 mile walk
Monday, November 14, 2005
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Speedwork
We drive to the park trading yawns all the way. Darkness comes early now and in the orange glow of the streetlights the shadows of the trees sprawl in strange patterns across the trail. I do a few perfunctory stretches and begin my warmup walk. A sudden howl breaks the evening's stillness. Another joins it, then several more.
It's the coyotes. Alone they don't bother me but in packs, agitated over some perceived canine insult, they make me nervous.
I'm not the only one who feels this way. A man has been lounging on a bench talking to his girlfriend but how she drags him toward the car as he protests, "But it's only dogs!"
Three lanky young men lope past me. I can tell they're talking about the coyotes because one of them jokes, "I'll just stay in the middle."
I look around. No sign of the coyotes, but I can still hear them growling and baying at who knows what from behind the trees and brush.
But none of that is why I'm out here tonight. It's time to get down to business. I approach the quarter mile marker at a brisk walk and break into a slow jog. My legs feel fresh and springy. They want to run.
Patience. Wait.
My legs don't want to wait. They speed up. I don't have my watch but it feels too fast. Slow down.
My legs don't respond.
Okay. But don't go any faster. Not now. Wait.
The next quarter mile marker is ahead. Okay. Now!
And we take off. My pace feels light, quick, effortless, like this is what my body was born to do. Like I could do this all night, run forever across gravel punctuated by oddly cast shadows and dead autumn leaves. Only my lungs limit me. This hasn't happened in so long-- my legs running strong, surpassing my lungs' ability to give them the oxygen they need. This is what it feels like to have everything in alignment, the body working toward one purpose only-- forward motion.
After half a mile I slow down. Walk a few steps. Then a slow jog. Deep breaths. Almost immediately the legs want to go again and at the next marker they get their chance. I continue on around the looped trail like this, half a mile on, a quarter off. I fly past people who look far fitter and faster than I could possibly be. Why are they so slow tonight? I dart between walkers, people with children, people with dogs. I wonder if they're worried about the coyotes.
The last half-mile set. I have to make it count. I take off again, tired this time, but still nothing hurts except the things that are supposed to be hurting by now-- lungs burning, a little knot under my ribcage tightening into a cramp. Push on anyway. Nothing comes easy. You have to work for it.
Breathing too fast now. Breathe deeper, breathe slower but don't slack off on the pace. A tall blonde wants my part of the trail. She has that long easy gait that covers a lot of ground with very little effort. I can't compete with her on stride or grace, only on power. I ask my legs for a little more and they laugh and give it to me as if the tank is limitless. The rest of my body may be working hard, but my legs are having the time of their life, skimming over the ground like it's easy. Like it's always been easy. As if it always will be.
Light and quick, the ground rushes away behind me.
And the coyotes howl at the moonless night.
It's the coyotes. Alone they don't bother me but in packs, agitated over some perceived canine insult, they make me nervous.
I'm not the only one who feels this way. A man has been lounging on a bench talking to his girlfriend but how she drags him toward the car as he protests, "But it's only dogs!"
Three lanky young men lope past me. I can tell they're talking about the coyotes because one of them jokes, "I'll just stay in the middle."
I look around. No sign of the coyotes, but I can still hear them growling and baying at who knows what from behind the trees and brush.
But none of that is why I'm out here tonight. It's time to get down to business. I approach the quarter mile marker at a brisk walk and break into a slow jog. My legs feel fresh and springy. They want to run.
Patience. Wait.
My legs don't want to wait. They speed up. I don't have my watch but it feels too fast. Slow down.
My legs don't respond.
Okay. But don't go any faster. Not now. Wait.
The next quarter mile marker is ahead. Okay. Now!
And we take off. My pace feels light, quick, effortless, like this is what my body was born to do. Like I could do this all night, run forever across gravel punctuated by oddly cast shadows and dead autumn leaves. Only my lungs limit me. This hasn't happened in so long-- my legs running strong, surpassing my lungs' ability to give them the oxygen they need. This is what it feels like to have everything in alignment, the body working toward one purpose only-- forward motion.
After half a mile I slow down. Walk a few steps. Then a slow jog. Deep breaths. Almost immediately the legs want to go again and at the next marker they get their chance. I continue on around the looped trail like this, half a mile on, a quarter off. I fly past people who look far fitter and faster than I could possibly be. Why are they so slow tonight? I dart between walkers, people with children, people with dogs. I wonder if they're worried about the coyotes.
The last half-mile set. I have to make it count. I take off again, tired this time, but still nothing hurts except the things that are supposed to be hurting by now-- lungs burning, a little knot under my ribcage tightening into a cramp. Push on anyway. Nothing comes easy. You have to work for it.
Breathing too fast now. Breathe deeper, breathe slower but don't slack off on the pace. A tall blonde wants my part of the trail. She has that long easy gait that covers a lot of ground with very little effort. I can't compete with her on stride or grace, only on power. I ask my legs for a little more and they laugh and give it to me as if the tank is limitless. The rest of my body may be working hard, but my legs are having the time of their life, skimming over the ground like it's easy. Like it's always been easy. As if it always will be.
Light and quick, the ground rushes away behind me.
And the coyotes howl at the moonless night.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Tour de Doughnut
This was an interesting little ride. There was a 28 mile doughnut-eating race and a 55 mile organized ride, so the start had a good mix of amateurs and experienced riders. This led to a lot of boring PSAs about bike safety at the ride start and then a thirty minute delay while they waited for some of the fog to burn off. The fog wasn't really all that bad but I guess they figured with so many newbie riders focused on eating Krispy Kremes at every stop, they didn't want to take any chances.
I had an intermittent ache in my hip and thigh for the first fifteen miles and considered switching to the 28 mile route. But when I came upon the route split, I went toward the 55 without even thinking. I guess that solved that dilemma, didn't it?
It turned out to be a really good ride for me. There was a bad patch into some headwind on a rough road, but you kind of have to expect that sort of thing and it was only about ten miles. I've experienced worse. The rest stops on the 55 mile loop had no doughnuts which was kind of a rip-off, but I wasn't planning on eating any anyway, so I guess I have no grounds for complaint on that score. The skies were overcast for awhile and we had some misting rain, but otherwise the weather was nice, although a little warm and humid for this time of year.
I finished strong with a 17.3 average over the course-- not bad for me.
I had a minor misadventure in the parking lot afterwards when I managed to lose my keys and finally found them wedged under the hatch of my RX-7, sort of trapped in between the hatch and the frame. What an amazingly dumb thing to do! Well, at least when I do something stupid, it's creatively so. And I was able to release the hatch from a switch by the driver's seat, so it all worked out.
Unfortunately no post-ride nap for me! I was in a late meeting last Friday with a guy who is too important to be ignored but who only half-communicates so that whatever you bring him, it's not really what he wanted. He needed revised budget numbers and additional information on a few things by Monday morning and since I was late for a P/T appointment that Friday and my entire day Monday is going to be the equivalent of one long useless meeting, I had to do the work this weekend or suffer the consequences. So I took my lunch up to the office and was very productive. I was so productive in fact, that I'm half-tempted to see if I could re-work my schedule to have a half-day off during the week and work a half-day on the weekend.
I read a couple weeks ago that interruptions at work have an effect on concentration equal to a lowering of the IQ or smoking pot. Ha! I believe it! All the more reason to try to avoid the ringing telephone and all the people who drop by my office with their silly questions. Quit lowering my IQ!!!
No wonder I feel so stupid at the end of the workday.
So maybe a half-day on the weekend is the way to go. It would be the only time of the week I would have a chance to sit at my desk and feel smart!
Recent Workouts
Sunday: bike, 55 miles
I had an intermittent ache in my hip and thigh for the first fifteen miles and considered switching to the 28 mile route. But when I came upon the route split, I went toward the 55 without even thinking. I guess that solved that dilemma, didn't it?
It turned out to be a really good ride for me. There was a bad patch into some headwind on a rough road, but you kind of have to expect that sort of thing and it was only about ten miles. I've experienced worse. The rest stops on the 55 mile loop had no doughnuts which was kind of a rip-off, but I wasn't planning on eating any anyway, so I guess I have no grounds for complaint on that score. The skies were overcast for awhile and we had some misting rain, but otherwise the weather was nice, although a little warm and humid for this time of year.
I finished strong with a 17.3 average over the course-- not bad for me.
I had a minor misadventure in the parking lot afterwards when I managed to lose my keys and finally found them wedged under the hatch of my RX-7, sort of trapped in between the hatch and the frame. What an amazingly dumb thing to do! Well, at least when I do something stupid, it's creatively so. And I was able to release the hatch from a switch by the driver's seat, so it all worked out.
Unfortunately no post-ride nap for me! I was in a late meeting last Friday with a guy who is too important to be ignored but who only half-communicates so that whatever you bring him, it's not really what he wanted. He needed revised budget numbers and additional information on a few things by Monday morning and since I was late for a P/T appointment that Friday and my entire day Monday is going to be the equivalent of one long useless meeting, I had to do the work this weekend or suffer the consequences. So I took my lunch up to the office and was very productive. I was so productive in fact, that I'm half-tempted to see if I could re-work my schedule to have a half-day off during the week and work a half-day on the weekend.
I read a couple weeks ago that interruptions at work have an effect on concentration equal to a lowering of the IQ or smoking pot. Ha! I believe it! All the more reason to try to avoid the ringing telephone and all the people who drop by my office with their silly questions. Quit lowering my IQ!!!
No wonder I feel so stupid at the end of the workday.
So maybe a half-day on the weekend is the way to go. It would be the only time of the week I would have a chance to sit at my desk and feel smart!
Recent Workouts
Sunday: bike, 55 miles
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Pain and Pilates
Okay, so I thought pilates was kind of like an intense form of yoga or something. I went to Monday morning class, did everything the instructor did and paid for it with intensely sore abs through Thursday. Ouch. Well, I've been slacking a bit on my core work, so it wasn't a huge surprise. So I went again Friday morning and we did some of the same moves, plus some others we hadn't done Monday. This time I backed off a bit and didn't try to do all the more advanced moves. I thought I was being conservative.
Instead, pain and stiffness started settling in around early evening, in spite of my having gotten a massage, an adjustment and some Fun With Electrodes therapy. By bedtime I was so stiff I could barely stretch and was hoping desperately that I would feel better in the morning.
I didn't. But I finished my workout anyway. I had wanted to go a little longer, but managed to suffer through the same workout I did last weekend. It would have to be enough. With the Tour de Doughnut on my Sunday schedule, I couldn't afford to run myself into hopelessly intractable knots. Just about everyone with a bike in my little circle is going to be riding on Sunday and I don't want to get dropped, no matter how good my excuse.
I babied my legs after my run and they seem to have responded well to all the ice, stretching and massage. We'll see how the morning bike ride goes. I have a feeling it's not going to be one of my easier rides, but I've been looking forward to this one for awhile and it's the next to last local ride before winter, so I'm going and if it's a sufferfest, so be it.
My treatments are coming along nicely, although I haven't been able to schedule all of it yet-- there's two parts to my plan and only so many hours in a day. I've been completely slammed at work, so badly that I'm going to have to do some time at the office after my Sunday ride, so when am I supposed to find time for extra treatments? But I'm also not sure that I can even pay for all of this. $30 co-pays add up fast. I was only a couple months from having my credit card paid off, too. Isn't that always the way of it? Just when you think you're about to finally get in the clear, something happens.
But there is hope! I've noticed that the place I've been going offers gift cards. I'm torn. Ask my parents for a gift card for Christmas and hope they don't screw it up? Knowing them, they'll just buy me a new comforter or something. Or should I lie in wait outside the establishment, jump people and take their gift cards? Hm. Decisions, decisions….
But seriously, I'm going to do whatever I need to do and if this fixes things once and for all, it will have been worth it. You can't put a price on a healthy body. It's crazy what even a couple of weeks can accomplish in repairing biomechanics. I can feel the difference when I run, but the change is most noticeable on the bike. My right knee used to drift in toward my top tube, no matter what I did. Now I get equal power from both legs without even trying.
Yes, once my body gets used to all these changes, I think I'll get a little free speed. But the real benefit will be long term. I refuse to grow up to be one of those old ladies who can barely totter around the house. Whatever I have to do now will be worth it.
Recent Workouts
Monday: Pilates, 45 minute elliptical
Tuesday: Speedwork, 10 x 400
Wednesday: Bike, Spinervals 2.0 Time Trial Special
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: Pilates (ouch!)
Saturday: 1 hour elliptical, 9 mile run
Instead, pain and stiffness started settling in around early evening, in spite of my having gotten a massage, an adjustment and some Fun With Electrodes therapy. By bedtime I was so stiff I could barely stretch and was hoping desperately that I would feel better in the morning.
I didn't. But I finished my workout anyway. I had wanted to go a little longer, but managed to suffer through the same workout I did last weekend. It would have to be enough. With the Tour de Doughnut on my Sunday schedule, I couldn't afford to run myself into hopelessly intractable knots. Just about everyone with a bike in my little circle is going to be riding on Sunday and I don't want to get dropped, no matter how good my excuse.
I babied my legs after my run and they seem to have responded well to all the ice, stretching and massage. We'll see how the morning bike ride goes. I have a feeling it's not going to be one of my easier rides, but I've been looking forward to this one for awhile and it's the next to last local ride before winter, so I'm going and if it's a sufferfest, so be it.
My treatments are coming along nicely, although I haven't been able to schedule all of it yet-- there's two parts to my plan and only so many hours in a day. I've been completely slammed at work, so badly that I'm going to have to do some time at the office after my Sunday ride, so when am I supposed to find time for extra treatments? But I'm also not sure that I can even pay for all of this. $30 co-pays add up fast. I was only a couple months from having my credit card paid off, too. Isn't that always the way of it? Just when you think you're about to finally get in the clear, something happens.
But there is hope! I've noticed that the place I've been going offers gift cards. I'm torn. Ask my parents for a gift card for Christmas and hope they don't screw it up? Knowing them, they'll just buy me a new comforter or something. Or should I lie in wait outside the establishment, jump people and take their gift cards? Hm. Decisions, decisions….
But seriously, I'm going to do whatever I need to do and if this fixes things once and for all, it will have been worth it. You can't put a price on a healthy body. It's crazy what even a couple of weeks can accomplish in repairing biomechanics. I can feel the difference when I run, but the change is most noticeable on the bike. My right knee used to drift in toward my top tube, no matter what I did. Now I get equal power from both legs without even trying.
Yes, once my body gets used to all these changes, I think I'll get a little free speed. But the real benefit will be long term. I refuse to grow up to be one of those old ladies who can barely totter around the house. Whatever I have to do now will be worth it.
Recent Workouts
Monday: Pilates, 45 minute elliptical
Tuesday: Speedwork, 10 x 400
Wednesday: Bike, Spinervals 2.0 Time Trial Special
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: Pilates (ouch!)
Saturday: 1 hour elliptical, 9 mile run
Sunday, October 30, 2005
My Achy Breaky Back
If I had thought I could cut back on my appointments with Mary to help pay for my physical therapy, I was wildly mistaken. Stupid me. Getting things put back in their proper alignment and training them to stay there is causing muscles I didn't even know I had to whine, tighten up and just plain hurt! It's like now I go out for a run and my glutes and adductors say, "Hey, what's with the pelvis? It used to be over there and now… ?"
Muscles don't like change. My cat is rather the same way, but I can't lock my muscles in another room when they start to annoy me. Too bad. It might teach them a lesson.
Nevertheless, progress is being made and I've been told that there's no reason not to keep training for a January marathon. Since I've had to back off my training these past two weeks, I'm feeling a little cynical, but anything can happen and I know I just need to relax and trust my body to adapt to treatment.
I'll be talking to the orthopedic surgeon on Monday about my x-rays and we'll see what comes out of that conversation. I'm always a little hesitant to talk to surgeons because their answer to problems is… surgery. I think we're way too eager to cut people open in this country and I'll need a lot of convincing before I go that route anytime before my sixties, if then. One thing I've always been able to count on is my body's rapid response to non-invasive treatment. If the damage to my hip can be stabilized or even partially reversed, me and my DNA are totally up to the task.
In the meantime I'm anxious to get the MRI referral approved and see what those pictures look like. That should clear up a lot of matters. I've been given overly pessimistic diagnoses before based on x-rays, so my mental focus for the present is on getting my biomechanics corrected so we can limit further damage. I'm barely restraining panic at forty treatments at $30 co-pay apiece, just when I was only a couple months away from getting the credit card paid off and resuming student loan payments. But what can one do? As I pointed out to a friend, if this had been caught ten years ago, it would've cost me a lot less than it's costing now. If I let it go another ten years, it will cost me even more than today.
Such is life. A constant little treadmill of earn and spend.
In more chipper news, I've revamped my training schedule. Key features include morning pilates and weight training classes, a Monday yoga option, daily swim or pool running options and no more naps. I've loved being able to take a daily nap, but I'm getting home later now because of the PT sessions and Dan is going to bed earlier, which locks me into an inconvenient enforced quiet time. So I’m going to experiment for a couple of weeks with this new schedule and see how it goes. I think it will increase my flexibility in training options, which is precisely what I need right now, when I can't be sure on any given day just what kind of workout I'll be up for. If after a 2-3 week trial run I find I just can't adapt, I can always go back to the old schedule, right?
Well, it's late and I'm feeling snackish. If you haven't tried the new Clif Nectar bars, check them out! Good stuff!
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 10 x 400
Wednesday: 35 minutes elliptical
Thursday: weights
Friday: rest
Saturday: 1 hour elliptical, 30 minutes treadmill, 6 mile run
Muscles don't like change. My cat is rather the same way, but I can't lock my muscles in another room when they start to annoy me. Too bad. It might teach them a lesson.
Nevertheless, progress is being made and I've been told that there's no reason not to keep training for a January marathon. Since I've had to back off my training these past two weeks, I'm feeling a little cynical, but anything can happen and I know I just need to relax and trust my body to adapt to treatment.
I'll be talking to the orthopedic surgeon on Monday about my x-rays and we'll see what comes out of that conversation. I'm always a little hesitant to talk to surgeons because their answer to problems is… surgery. I think we're way too eager to cut people open in this country and I'll need a lot of convincing before I go that route anytime before my sixties, if then. One thing I've always been able to count on is my body's rapid response to non-invasive treatment. If the damage to my hip can be stabilized or even partially reversed, me and my DNA are totally up to the task.
In the meantime I'm anxious to get the MRI referral approved and see what those pictures look like. That should clear up a lot of matters. I've been given overly pessimistic diagnoses before based on x-rays, so my mental focus for the present is on getting my biomechanics corrected so we can limit further damage. I'm barely restraining panic at forty treatments at $30 co-pay apiece, just when I was only a couple months away from getting the credit card paid off and resuming student loan payments. But what can one do? As I pointed out to a friend, if this had been caught ten years ago, it would've cost me a lot less than it's costing now. If I let it go another ten years, it will cost me even more than today.
Such is life. A constant little treadmill of earn and spend.
In more chipper news, I've revamped my training schedule. Key features include morning pilates and weight training classes, a Monday yoga option, daily swim or pool running options and no more naps. I've loved being able to take a daily nap, but I'm getting home later now because of the PT sessions and Dan is going to bed earlier, which locks me into an inconvenient enforced quiet time. So I’m going to experiment for a couple of weeks with this new schedule and see how it goes. I think it will increase my flexibility in training options, which is precisely what I need right now, when I can't be sure on any given day just what kind of workout I'll be up for. If after a 2-3 week trial run I find I just can't adapt, I can always go back to the old schedule, right?
Well, it's late and I'm feeling snackish. If you haven't tried the new Clif Nectar bars, check them out! Good stuff!
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 10 x 400
Wednesday: 35 minutes elliptical
Thursday: weights
Friday: rest
Saturday: 1 hour elliptical, 30 minutes treadmill, 6 mile run
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
X-Rays and OMG
I went for my first physical therapy consultation on Tuesday. I was anxious to get started, so it wasn't easy to hold back and submit to x-rays and various range of motion tests. This was a simple problem, right? Give me some stretches and exercises and let's be on our way!
But no, they didn't do anything to start my treatment. Instead they took x-rays, requested a $30 co-pay and told me to return the next day. I was annoyed, since they obviously weren't going to find a soft tissue injury on an x-ray. But okay, we'll play the game your way and see what happens.
I returned today and was ushered into a tiny consult room that had my x-rays on a darkened viewing screen. I was asked to sit, watch a video and wait for the doctor. The video was all about the hows and whys of chiropractic care. Now, I'm not entirely against chiropractic therapy, but I don't think it does nearly as much as its most devoted proponents and practitioners claim. I also think that it's nearly useless if it's not done in conjunction with massage and physical therapy, to prevent recurrence of problems. I've met responsible chiropractors as well as those who just want to keep you coming back and dropping money, so I'm always on my guard when someone starts talking about the wonders of spinal adjustments.
So I watched the video distractedly, wondering if I'd made a terrible mistake in choosing this particular place, this particular doctor. I had chosen her because she was ART-certified, but maybe I should've gone back to the guy I saw two years ago, who would've had me doing things with elastic bands by now.
The video ended. Still no sign of the doc. I was bored out of my skull in that tiny room, so I decided to flick the switch for the x-ray screen and take a look at my pics.
O.M.G.
There it was, so obvious that even this pre-med dropout could tell at a glance what was wrong-- bone loss and joint degeneration in the right hip socket.
I nearly jumped out of my skin! Where was the doctor? I needed to talk to someone about this RIGHT NOW! I peeked out the door. Someone who obviously didn't work there was chatting about the Astros with an aide in the hallway. Grr. Shut up, people! The Astros are toast and I've got a REAL problem here!
I spent what seemed like forever in that room, alternately squirming in my seat, pacing around and staring at my x-rays in shock. The one of my neck looked pretty bad too-- no curve to the upper spinal column. No wonder I always have headaches and tight shoulders. But I've learned to live with that. This hip, though… When will someone come and TALK to me???
Well, finally the doc came and I pounced on her, insisting we cut to the chase and talk about what the heck is up with this right hip. She confirmed what needed no confirmation, that the x-ray showed signs of joint deterioration and she said she was going to get me a referral for an MRI. Based on the result of that, a talk with an orthopedic surgeon may or may not be necessary.
Okay, okay, I know a guy who does Ironman on a DuPont hip, so even in the unlikely event that this is a worst-case scenario, we're still okay here, and better to have caught it now than later, collapsed on the road with a pelvic fracture during a marathon or something. Since I didn't even start having localized pain in the hip socket area until a couple months ago, I'm feeling optimistic. It's quite likely that the x-ray looks more serious than it is due to the weird angle caused by the misaligned pelvis. That's what I'm hoping, at any rate.
But… damn, how did such a thing happen? Running didn't do this. My weekly mileage is low and I substitute joint-saving elliptical sessions for a lot of my scheduled runs. Strong bones and joints run in both sides of my family. Hell, even my cavities recalcify, so there's nothing intrinsically weak about my body.
You don't get problems like this x-ray is showing after only five years of training. This is a problem that was decades in the making. I think it was those seven years of ballet classes as a kid which twisted my knees, which altered my Q-angle on one side, which made one leg functionally shorter than the other for most of my life. I don't remember a time when I didn't have a pop in my right hip. It had to have been those ballet classes and all my childhood efforts to achieve perfect turnout in spite of the fact my body was never designed for it.
On a positive note, the doctor pointed to things she could fix within a very short period of time, such as my rotated pelvis. She can fix that with some spinal manipulation followed up with physical therapy. It will get rid of the lubar-sacral pain I've had for awhile and take pressure off the hip, relieving that pain as well. And as a bonus she promised she could restore a normal curvature to my neck, which would cure my chronic headaches and tightness through the shoulders. Well, that would be nice. I bet it would help my swimming, too.
We had a long chat about treatment plans and goals and she did a couple of adjustments and some electrotherapy on my pelvic area. That sonic boom you heard around 5:30 pm, Central time, was my neck getting adjusted. I can look up a little bit now. Would you believe I haven't been able to throw my head back and look up at the sky in… oh, I don't know how long? It's been so long that I had come to think it was normal.
So the moral of this little tale is to withhold your skepticism if someone wants to do a bunch of tests before starting you on even the most basic physical therapy regimen. The problem you think you have may just be a symptom of something quite different.
Recent Workouts
Monday: rest
Tuesday: speedwork: 10 x 400
Wednesday: 35 minutes elliptical
But no, they didn't do anything to start my treatment. Instead they took x-rays, requested a $30 co-pay and told me to return the next day. I was annoyed, since they obviously weren't going to find a soft tissue injury on an x-ray. But okay, we'll play the game your way and see what happens.
I returned today and was ushered into a tiny consult room that had my x-rays on a darkened viewing screen. I was asked to sit, watch a video and wait for the doctor. The video was all about the hows and whys of chiropractic care. Now, I'm not entirely against chiropractic therapy, but I don't think it does nearly as much as its most devoted proponents and practitioners claim. I also think that it's nearly useless if it's not done in conjunction with massage and physical therapy, to prevent recurrence of problems. I've met responsible chiropractors as well as those who just want to keep you coming back and dropping money, so I'm always on my guard when someone starts talking about the wonders of spinal adjustments.
So I watched the video distractedly, wondering if I'd made a terrible mistake in choosing this particular place, this particular doctor. I had chosen her because she was ART-certified, but maybe I should've gone back to the guy I saw two years ago, who would've had me doing things with elastic bands by now.
The video ended. Still no sign of the doc. I was bored out of my skull in that tiny room, so I decided to flick the switch for the x-ray screen and take a look at my pics.
O.M.G.
There it was, so obvious that even this pre-med dropout could tell at a glance what was wrong-- bone loss and joint degeneration in the right hip socket.
I nearly jumped out of my skin! Where was the doctor? I needed to talk to someone about this RIGHT NOW! I peeked out the door. Someone who obviously didn't work there was chatting about the Astros with an aide in the hallway. Grr. Shut up, people! The Astros are toast and I've got a REAL problem here!
I spent what seemed like forever in that room, alternately squirming in my seat, pacing around and staring at my x-rays in shock. The one of my neck looked pretty bad too-- no curve to the upper spinal column. No wonder I always have headaches and tight shoulders. But I've learned to live with that. This hip, though… When will someone come and TALK to me???
Well, finally the doc came and I pounced on her, insisting we cut to the chase and talk about what the heck is up with this right hip. She confirmed what needed no confirmation, that the x-ray showed signs of joint deterioration and she said she was going to get me a referral for an MRI. Based on the result of that, a talk with an orthopedic surgeon may or may not be necessary.
Okay, okay, I know a guy who does Ironman on a DuPont hip, so even in the unlikely event that this is a worst-case scenario, we're still okay here, and better to have caught it now than later, collapsed on the road with a pelvic fracture during a marathon or something. Since I didn't even start having localized pain in the hip socket area until a couple months ago, I'm feeling optimistic. It's quite likely that the x-ray looks more serious than it is due to the weird angle caused by the misaligned pelvis. That's what I'm hoping, at any rate.
But… damn, how did such a thing happen? Running didn't do this. My weekly mileage is low and I substitute joint-saving elliptical sessions for a lot of my scheduled runs. Strong bones and joints run in both sides of my family. Hell, even my cavities recalcify, so there's nothing intrinsically weak about my body.
You don't get problems like this x-ray is showing after only five years of training. This is a problem that was decades in the making. I think it was those seven years of ballet classes as a kid which twisted my knees, which altered my Q-angle on one side, which made one leg functionally shorter than the other for most of my life. I don't remember a time when I didn't have a pop in my right hip. It had to have been those ballet classes and all my childhood efforts to achieve perfect turnout in spite of the fact my body was never designed for it.
On a positive note, the doctor pointed to things she could fix within a very short period of time, such as my rotated pelvis. She can fix that with some spinal manipulation followed up with physical therapy. It will get rid of the lubar-sacral pain I've had for awhile and take pressure off the hip, relieving that pain as well. And as a bonus she promised she could restore a normal curvature to my neck, which would cure my chronic headaches and tightness through the shoulders. Well, that would be nice. I bet it would help my swimming, too.
We had a long chat about treatment plans and goals and she did a couple of adjustments and some electrotherapy on my pelvic area. That sonic boom you heard around 5:30 pm, Central time, was my neck getting adjusted. I can look up a little bit now. Would you believe I haven't been able to throw my head back and look up at the sky in… oh, I don't know how long? It's been so long that I had come to think it was normal.
So the moral of this little tale is to withhold your skepticism if someone wants to do a bunch of tests before starting you on even the most basic physical therapy regimen. The problem you think you have may just be a symptom of something quite different.
Recent Workouts
Monday: rest
Tuesday: speedwork: 10 x 400
Wednesday: 35 minutes elliptical
Monday, October 24, 2005
Low-Volume Weekend
With my hip and IT band no longer aching, I decided to keep the volume low this weekend and just take things easy until I could see the PT. So Saturday morning I did an hour on the elliptical trainer followed by an hour on the bayou trails. Other than some asthma, I felt pretty good, but I didn't want to push my luck so I didn't let myself get tempted to run longer.
Sunday I went for a bike ride with Dan and his friend Neal. I almost didn't go because I was so short of breath in the morning. Stupid fall allergies! I went up to the maximum on all my meds and tossed back two cups of super-extra-strong coffee. By the time Neal arrived I practically needed to be scraped off the ceiling and I was needing go to the bathroom every ten minutes, but hey, my lungs were clearing and that's what mattered.
We drove to Tom Bass Park in Pearland and followed part of the route used by the annual winter West University Warm-Up ride. As far as routes go, it's pretty good except for the last ten miles, which is through a busy business area and along a freeway.
It was a beautiful day to be out riding-- sunny and cool as if the weather gods had suddenly remembered us after all and decided to give us a little taste of what people in other climes take for granted before the gray rainy days of winter set in. Dan hadn't ridden since the little 31-miler we did on the Fourth of July, so I was surprised when at mile 17 we turned into a headwind and he picked up the pace. Call me crazy, but my ride philosophy is to not go sprinting into headwinds until the last 10-20 miles of a ride, when I know I've got plenty in the tank to see it through to the end. But Neal seemed to think Dan was issuing some sort of a challenge and I finally got irritated with both of them for turning up the volume so early like that. I was even more annoyed when we turned out of the wind and they both slowed down to 16. What was that all about? So I passed them, cruised a few miles at a comfortable 19-20 mph and waited for them at the store that marks the halfway point.
I stuck with the guys for a little bit after that because I wasn't completely certain of the route, but once we were on the long straightaway that would take us almost to the park entrance, I went out on my own again. We were back into the wind at this point and still fifteen miles to go, so I settled in for a long dull session of battling gusts, watching for road kill and waiting for the overpass that would mark the entrance into the dangerous business district.
Once beyond the overpass I slowed down because there were more cars to watch out for and the shoulder quality wasn't as good-- lots of bumps, gravel and debris. I also wanted to give the guys a chance to catch up. And finally Neal sprinted up to my shoulder and told me to pull over at the next gas station. I looked behind me and yes, Dan was back there, but I knew something must not be right if we were stopping now, with only about seven miles to go.
As it turned out he was exhausted and had a nasty hamstring cramp.
And that, gentle reader, is why it is a bad idea to sprint into a headwind at mile 17.
I followed Dan for a couple miles after we left the gas station, just to make sure he was going to be okay. But once we were out of the business district and onto the feeder road with the park just a few miles up, I pulled ahead of him. Neal and I had a good hard ride the rest of the way to the park in the increasingly blustery morning and Dan hung in not far back. He's lucky to have so much natural talent on the bike. I can train and train and train and he can still match or come close to what I can do with no training whatsoever. It would be discouraging if I were the sort to look at it in that light.
We had a nice rest of the day. I bought us some deli food from Central Market, we took a nap, we went for an evening walk at Memorial Park and watched a movie. I would've liked to have done more marathon-specific training this past weekend, but I've succeeded in loosening my hip up a little bit (it makes fancy popping sounds now) and I just keep reminding myself that training myself into a ruptured tendon isn't going to help matters.
So why do I feel like such a slacker?
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 1 hour elliptical, 1 hour run
Sunday: 50 mile bike, 3 mile walk
Sunday I went for a bike ride with Dan and his friend Neal. I almost didn't go because I was so short of breath in the morning. Stupid fall allergies! I went up to the maximum on all my meds and tossed back two cups of super-extra-strong coffee. By the time Neal arrived I practically needed to be scraped off the ceiling and I was needing go to the bathroom every ten minutes, but hey, my lungs were clearing and that's what mattered.
We drove to Tom Bass Park in Pearland and followed part of the route used by the annual winter West University Warm-Up ride. As far as routes go, it's pretty good except for the last ten miles, which is through a busy business area and along a freeway.
It was a beautiful day to be out riding-- sunny and cool as if the weather gods had suddenly remembered us after all and decided to give us a little taste of what people in other climes take for granted before the gray rainy days of winter set in. Dan hadn't ridden since the little 31-miler we did on the Fourth of July, so I was surprised when at mile 17 we turned into a headwind and he picked up the pace. Call me crazy, but my ride philosophy is to not go sprinting into headwinds until the last 10-20 miles of a ride, when I know I've got plenty in the tank to see it through to the end. But Neal seemed to think Dan was issuing some sort of a challenge and I finally got irritated with both of them for turning up the volume so early like that. I was even more annoyed when we turned out of the wind and they both slowed down to 16. What was that all about? So I passed them, cruised a few miles at a comfortable 19-20 mph and waited for them at the store that marks the halfway point.
I stuck with the guys for a little bit after that because I wasn't completely certain of the route, but once we were on the long straightaway that would take us almost to the park entrance, I went out on my own again. We were back into the wind at this point and still fifteen miles to go, so I settled in for a long dull session of battling gusts, watching for road kill and waiting for the overpass that would mark the entrance into the dangerous business district.
Once beyond the overpass I slowed down because there were more cars to watch out for and the shoulder quality wasn't as good-- lots of bumps, gravel and debris. I also wanted to give the guys a chance to catch up. And finally Neal sprinted up to my shoulder and told me to pull over at the next gas station. I looked behind me and yes, Dan was back there, but I knew something must not be right if we were stopping now, with only about seven miles to go.
As it turned out he was exhausted and had a nasty hamstring cramp.
And that, gentle reader, is why it is a bad idea to sprint into a headwind at mile 17.
I followed Dan for a couple miles after we left the gas station, just to make sure he was going to be okay. But once we were out of the business district and onto the feeder road with the park just a few miles up, I pulled ahead of him. Neal and I had a good hard ride the rest of the way to the park in the increasingly blustery morning and Dan hung in not far back. He's lucky to have so much natural talent on the bike. I can train and train and train and he can still match or come close to what I can do with no training whatsoever. It would be discouraging if I were the sort to look at it in that light.
We had a nice rest of the day. I bought us some deli food from Central Market, we took a nap, we went for an evening walk at Memorial Park and watched a movie. I would've liked to have done more marathon-specific training this past weekend, but I've succeeded in loosening my hip up a little bit (it makes fancy popping sounds now) and I just keep reminding myself that training myself into a ruptured tendon isn't going to help matters.
So why do I feel like such a slacker?
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 1 hour elliptical, 1 hour run
Sunday: 50 mile bike, 3 mile walk
Friday, October 21, 2005
Doctor Thinks I'm Smart
I'm not too happy with the way this hip-ITB thing is progressing. I think it's related to my sore lower back (sacroiliac area). But which problem is causing the other is not for my un-MD'd brain to figure out.
I went to see Mary on Tuesday and she fixed me up pretty good, but there's only so far a massage can take you sometimes. Even a good one. A short run and an elliptical session later and I'm sitting here at the office with an aching hip again, wondering how far I should run this weekend, or if I should even run at all.
So I looked up some PTs online, checking that they were on my insurance and that they were close to home. I picked a first and second choice, then called my doctor's office. I explained everything to the nurse, making sure to use all the correct doctor-speak that I learned in Physiology class. I also reminded her that my doctor had referred me for physical therapy in the past. I said that I would be happy to come in if the doctor didn't want to refer me directly, but could she please check?
Well, miracle of miracles, an hour later and here's my referral coming over the fax machine! And I can go to my first choice PT, just a few blocks from home. Hooray! My doctor has always treated me like I'm pretty savvy and this confirms her confidence in me.
The last time I had physical therapy (for my Q-angle), the PT had noticed some pelvic instability but we hadn't been able to get approval for treatment at that time. So now I can get the whole thing fixed. Even though I will probably have to back off my marathon training plan a bit, I have a feeling I'll get a little free speed and endurance out of this.
Houston Marathon, here I come!
Recent Workouts
Wednesday: Speedwork, 6 x 800
Thursday: 45 minute elliptical, plyometrics
I went to see Mary on Tuesday and she fixed me up pretty good, but there's only so far a massage can take you sometimes. Even a good one. A short run and an elliptical session later and I'm sitting here at the office with an aching hip again, wondering how far I should run this weekend, or if I should even run at all.
So I looked up some PTs online, checking that they were on my insurance and that they were close to home. I picked a first and second choice, then called my doctor's office. I explained everything to the nurse, making sure to use all the correct doctor-speak that I learned in Physiology class. I also reminded her that my doctor had referred me for physical therapy in the past. I said that I would be happy to come in if the doctor didn't want to refer me directly, but could she please check?
Well, miracle of miracles, an hour later and here's my referral coming over the fax machine! And I can go to my first choice PT, just a few blocks from home. Hooray! My doctor has always treated me like I'm pretty savvy and this confirms her confidence in me.
The last time I had physical therapy (for my Q-angle), the PT had noticed some pelvic instability but we hadn't been able to get approval for treatment at that time. So now I can get the whole thing fixed. Even though I will probably have to back off my marathon training plan a bit, I have a feeling I'll get a little free speed and endurance out of this.
Houston Marathon, here I come!
Recent Workouts
Wednesday: Speedwork, 6 x 800
Thursday: 45 minute elliptical, plyometrics
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Luke's Locker/Koala Health & Wellness 20K
Doing a bike ride and a run back to back sure highlights the simplicity of running. It took me half an hour and a sherpa-load of stuff to get out the door for yesterday's bike ride. This morning took 15 minutes and one little plastic bag. Yes, there's a reason I often balk at going on bike rides. I can be out the door and done with a run in the time it takes just to deal with all the stupid bike gear!
Okay, so I was up at 5:45 am, after going to bed around 2:00 because I was waiting up for Dan, who had gone Tejano-clubbing with his professor and classmates as part of a music appreciation assignment. (It's a Tejano music class.) Even without much sleep, my legs felt a little better than they had the night before. Not really springy, but not like concrete weights, either. So that was good.
I had to circle a couple of times before finding a place to park downtown, only to find that the box to put your money in wanted $6 instead of the formerly-ubiquitous $5. I had a $5 but no ones! Luckily I was able to get some quarters and I was in business. I tried to give my savior her choice of Hammer Gel flavors as trade, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Thanks, girlfriend! May your good deed this morning come back to you a hundred-fold!
I now had about 45 minutes until the race start at 7:00, so I walked the few blocks to pick up my chip, tied it to my shoe, then wandered into a hotel to use the restroom. The hotel staff were being very nice not to kick us all out. I made sure to wipe down the wet counters in the restroom, and I hope everyone else was similarly conscientious so we will be welcome again next year. Heck, I'll wipe down their floors in addition to their counters if it means I don't have to use one of those disgusting port-a-potties!
It was still about 20 minutes to gun time, so I wandered back to the car, applied a little body glide where it would do the most good and applied a heavy coating of menthol cream to my knees and IT bands. Now that I was all set, I made my way toward the start, getting there just in time for the announcements, which were mercifully short. Then came the national anthem, which I did not help sing because my nation deserves better.
And then we were off!
I can't really say much about the race because it was pretty uneventful for me. The hardest part was just holding myself back because I really wanted this to be a training run, not something I pushed hard on. With as many crampy spots in my hips and knees lately and my history of anterior tibialis tendonitis during marathon training, not to mention my history of injuries on this race, I just wanted to do a nice, steady pace, not too easy, not too hard. But that's so difficult to do when people all around you are excited and testing their limits! The announcers keep calling lower and lower minute per mile times at each mile marker and it's hard to pull back and not just go for it. I got a little help in my determination to take things easy when my hip started nagging at me around mile ten. It wasn't painful so much as it was just giving me the odd little whisper and nudge, as if to say, "Hey, remember me? I'm still here!"
Yeah, thanks.
But by that point the race was almost over. I picked up my pace very slightly on the last mile and a half and called it a day. I wanted to laugh when a volunteer at chip removal wanted to know if I could lift my foot high enough to set it on an upturned bucket so she could clip the plastic tie. I guess a lot of people really did run hard today if she was asking that question! Then again, I heard a lot of huffing and puffing in the first few miles. That always worries me. I have to bite my tongue not to turn and point out that if you're struggling at the 5K point, SLOW DOWN!
After I got my chip removed, I got my bottle of water, found the shirt tent, got a size small (hooray!) and signed up for a massage. The line at the massage tent moved quickly but that was because the complimentary massages were so short-- only about five minutes. I don't even know if it really helped much.
I wandered around the post-race area for a little longer, hoping to see some friends of mine who I'd seen out on the course, but I couldn't find them. No big deal. It was 9:30 and time to go home. I went by the finish line on my way toward the car and helped cheer a few of the back of the packers in. Funny, but their time wasn't much better than my first 20K time, four years ago. What a difference a few years of training and experience can make!
I'm satisfied with my time of 1:54. It's not great, but it's about where I wanted it to be under the circumstances. I rode hard yesterday and I'm still recovering from last weekend's 17-miler and hip/ITB debacle, so a 9:12 pace over 12.4 miles is quite acceptable.
What a busy weekend! I'm a total slug for months and don't sign up for a single thing and then I go do an organized ride and a race in the same weekend. I guess we don't do anything in moderation in this sport, do we?
I'll be back to my usual slacker self next weekend, though!
And I'll end this post by congratulating Shelley on her Ironman Kona finish and Nancy on her Baltimore Marathon! You ladies rock!
Okay, so I was up at 5:45 am, after going to bed around 2:00 because I was waiting up for Dan, who had gone Tejano-clubbing with his professor and classmates as part of a music appreciation assignment. (It's a Tejano music class.) Even without much sleep, my legs felt a little better than they had the night before. Not really springy, but not like concrete weights, either. So that was good.
I had to circle a couple of times before finding a place to park downtown, only to find that the box to put your money in wanted $6 instead of the formerly-ubiquitous $5. I had a $5 but no ones! Luckily I was able to get some quarters and I was in business. I tried to give my savior her choice of Hammer Gel flavors as trade, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Thanks, girlfriend! May your good deed this morning come back to you a hundred-fold!
I now had about 45 minutes until the race start at 7:00, so I walked the few blocks to pick up my chip, tied it to my shoe, then wandered into a hotel to use the restroom. The hotel staff were being very nice not to kick us all out. I made sure to wipe down the wet counters in the restroom, and I hope everyone else was similarly conscientious so we will be welcome again next year. Heck, I'll wipe down their floors in addition to their counters if it means I don't have to use one of those disgusting port-a-potties!
It was still about 20 minutes to gun time, so I wandered back to the car, applied a little body glide where it would do the most good and applied a heavy coating of menthol cream to my knees and IT bands. Now that I was all set, I made my way toward the start, getting there just in time for the announcements, which were mercifully short. Then came the national anthem, which I did not help sing because my nation deserves better.
And then we were off!
I can't really say much about the race because it was pretty uneventful for me. The hardest part was just holding myself back because I really wanted this to be a training run, not something I pushed hard on. With as many crampy spots in my hips and knees lately and my history of anterior tibialis tendonitis during marathon training, not to mention my history of injuries on this race, I just wanted to do a nice, steady pace, not too easy, not too hard. But that's so difficult to do when people all around you are excited and testing their limits! The announcers keep calling lower and lower minute per mile times at each mile marker and it's hard to pull back and not just go for it. I got a little help in my determination to take things easy when my hip started nagging at me around mile ten. It wasn't painful so much as it was just giving me the odd little whisper and nudge, as if to say, "Hey, remember me? I'm still here!"
Yeah, thanks.
But by that point the race was almost over. I picked up my pace very slightly on the last mile and a half and called it a day. I wanted to laugh when a volunteer at chip removal wanted to know if I could lift my foot high enough to set it on an upturned bucket so she could clip the plastic tie. I guess a lot of people really did run hard today if she was asking that question! Then again, I heard a lot of huffing and puffing in the first few miles. That always worries me. I have to bite my tongue not to turn and point out that if you're struggling at the 5K point, SLOW DOWN!
After I got my chip removed, I got my bottle of water, found the shirt tent, got a size small (hooray!) and signed up for a massage. The line at the massage tent moved quickly but that was because the complimentary massages were so short-- only about five minutes. I don't even know if it really helped much.
I wandered around the post-race area for a little longer, hoping to see some friends of mine who I'd seen out on the course, but I couldn't find them. No big deal. It was 9:30 and time to go home. I went by the finish line on my way toward the car and helped cheer a few of the back of the packers in. Funny, but their time wasn't much better than my first 20K time, four years ago. What a difference a few years of training and experience can make!
I'm satisfied with my time of 1:54. It's not great, but it's about where I wanted it to be under the circumstances. I rode hard yesterday and I'm still recovering from last weekend's 17-miler and hip/ITB debacle, so a 9:12 pace over 12.4 miles is quite acceptable.
What a busy weekend! I'm a total slug for months and don't sign up for a single thing and then I go do an organized ride and a race in the same weekend. I guess we don't do anything in moderation in this sport, do we?
I'll be back to my usual slacker self next weekend, though!
And I'll end this post by congratulating Shelley on her Ironman Kona finish and Nancy on her Baltimore Marathon! You ladies rock!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Riding for Literacy
Read all about it!
Bike the Bend for Literacy is a nice little ride out of Richmond, Texas, Fort Bend County. I did it last year when they held it at the end of August and in spite of the late summer heat, I liked it. It wasn't one of my planned bike rides for this season because they moved it to the same day as the Goliad ride. But since Dan had too much going on for a weekend in Goliad to be practical, the Ride for Literacy was a nice alternative.
The ride started from the Technical Building at Wharton Junior College. It's a good place for a small ride like this-- lots of parking, a big clean building with no long lines for late registration, packet pickup or restrooms, and a table of bagels, fruit, gels and water set up outside in the shade. The shirts were pretty cool and there were some nice goodies in the swag bag, including samples of a joint and muscle cream called Bio-Freeze and some Energice, which I've been wanting to try. Energice is a gel that can be eaten room temp, but they recommend you freeze it and eat it like a Popsicle. Good idea for here in the South! Too bad summer's over, but I checked my calendar and it looks like we'll have summer again next year, so I'm holding onto these Energice samples!
We got a late start because there was an accident on the route and the cops asked the race director to hold us up a bit, but we finally got started around 8:15.
Because it was a small ride I had no trouble seeding myself toward the front along with the other riders doing the metric century, ahead of the slowpokes who were just out there for the scenery, but behind the serious speedsters. We had gone just over a mile when we got stopped by a train, and it was a long one! Luckily it was also moving at a pretty good clip, so we didn't have to wait too long.
The ride took us through nice horse country, cotton fields, and some attractive neighborhoods. The ride signage was excellent and the rest stops were frequent and fully stocked. There were also enough big gas stations on the route that if you really wanted a flush toilet and hand washing facilities, you could have them. Yes, I took advantage of this.
For the first half of the ride, the winds were moderate and mostly at our backs. So of course that meant that we'd have headwinds after awhile, and sure enough about an hour and a half into the ride, the winds started picking up and by the time we were on the popular Fulshear-Simonton route, we were in for some long, slow stretches with either headwind or gusting crosswinds. Yuck. I suppose I could've done some drafting, but I really don't like to do that because it will only spoil me for triathlon.
The last 15 miles were the worst, as my abs and the muscles around my knees started protesting all the activity. Yes, I've been lazy on my ab and knee work for a few weeks and now that I've started up again, everything's a little sore. No big deal at the office, but one tends to notice these things out on the road.
Luckily that last 15 miles is nothing on a psychological level, so it was just a matter of holding on to the finish. Around mile 50 someone told me the course was measured long and to expect it to be 65 and not 62 miles, but it actually came out to about 61.5. Back at the parking lot, I slathered one of my Bio-Freeze samples around my knees and on my lower back, which has been hurting a lot since I got lazy on my ab work. Let me tell you, that Bio-Freeze is good stuff! By the time I got home I felt great!
In fact, I felt so good I went and did late registration for the 20K race tomorrow!
Uh, yeah. Now I'm wondering if that was such a good idea. My legs feel pretty heavy tonight, and even though I hadn't intended to actually race the 20K, I'm wondering if it's really what I should be doing at all. It's been a jinx race for me in the past, always leading to some sort of injury.
So we'll see how things go tomorrow. I'm not racing. I'm really, really not. It's just that I was going to run 12 miles anyway, and since the race goes past my house and over part of the route I was going to run anyway, it seemed silly not to sign up. I will, however, take full advantage of the post-run massages tomorrow. No matter how long I have to wait.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 45 minutes elliptical
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 4 x 1 mile speedwork, total mileage 5.25
Thursday: 15 minues elliptical, 30 minutes run, easy pace
Friday: rest
Bike the Bend for Literacy is a nice little ride out of Richmond, Texas, Fort Bend County. I did it last year when they held it at the end of August and in spite of the late summer heat, I liked it. It wasn't one of my planned bike rides for this season because they moved it to the same day as the Goliad ride. But since Dan had too much going on for a weekend in Goliad to be practical, the Ride for Literacy was a nice alternative.
The ride started from the Technical Building at Wharton Junior College. It's a good place for a small ride like this-- lots of parking, a big clean building with no long lines for late registration, packet pickup or restrooms, and a table of bagels, fruit, gels and water set up outside in the shade. The shirts were pretty cool and there were some nice goodies in the swag bag, including samples of a joint and muscle cream called Bio-Freeze and some Energice, which I've been wanting to try. Energice is a gel that can be eaten room temp, but they recommend you freeze it and eat it like a Popsicle. Good idea for here in the South! Too bad summer's over, but I checked my calendar and it looks like we'll have summer again next year, so I'm holding onto these Energice samples!
We got a late start because there was an accident on the route and the cops asked the race director to hold us up a bit, but we finally got started around 8:15.
Because it was a small ride I had no trouble seeding myself toward the front along with the other riders doing the metric century, ahead of the slowpokes who were just out there for the scenery, but behind the serious speedsters. We had gone just over a mile when we got stopped by a train, and it was a long one! Luckily it was also moving at a pretty good clip, so we didn't have to wait too long.
The ride took us through nice horse country, cotton fields, and some attractive neighborhoods. The ride signage was excellent and the rest stops were frequent and fully stocked. There were also enough big gas stations on the route that if you really wanted a flush toilet and hand washing facilities, you could have them. Yes, I took advantage of this.
For the first half of the ride, the winds were moderate and mostly at our backs. So of course that meant that we'd have headwinds after awhile, and sure enough about an hour and a half into the ride, the winds started picking up and by the time we were on the popular Fulshear-Simonton route, we were in for some long, slow stretches with either headwind or gusting crosswinds. Yuck. I suppose I could've done some drafting, but I really don't like to do that because it will only spoil me for triathlon.
The last 15 miles were the worst, as my abs and the muscles around my knees started protesting all the activity. Yes, I've been lazy on my ab and knee work for a few weeks and now that I've started up again, everything's a little sore. No big deal at the office, but one tends to notice these things out on the road.
Luckily that last 15 miles is nothing on a psychological level, so it was just a matter of holding on to the finish. Around mile 50 someone told me the course was measured long and to expect it to be 65 and not 62 miles, but it actually came out to about 61.5. Back at the parking lot, I slathered one of my Bio-Freeze samples around my knees and on my lower back, which has been hurting a lot since I got lazy on my ab work. Let me tell you, that Bio-Freeze is good stuff! By the time I got home I felt great!
In fact, I felt so good I went and did late registration for the 20K race tomorrow!
Uh, yeah. Now I'm wondering if that was such a good idea. My legs feel pretty heavy tonight, and even though I hadn't intended to actually race the 20K, I'm wondering if it's really what I should be doing at all. It's been a jinx race for me in the past, always leading to some sort of injury.
So we'll see how things go tomorrow. I'm not racing. I'm really, really not. It's just that I was going to run 12 miles anyway, and since the race goes past my house and over part of the route I was going to run anyway, it seemed silly not to sign up. I will, however, take full advantage of the post-run massages tomorrow. No matter how long I have to wait.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 45 minutes elliptical
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 4 x 1 mile speedwork, total mileage 5.25
Thursday: 15 minues elliptical, 30 minutes run, easy pace
Friday: rest
Saturday, October 08, 2005
A BQ In My Future?
I always love the first cool runs of fall. After months of long, slow, sweaty trudges through the summer heat and humidity, the first few runs after a cool front feel so FAST!!!
So I hit the trails this morning with the idea of doing three loops around the bayou. I started out with a bit of asthma trouble because I was late taking my meds this morning. It wasn't a huge problem, more like just a nuisance. I kept waiting for the meds to kick in and help bring up the fluid in my lungs, but that didn't happen until almost four miles into the run. Oh well. It wasn't like it was a full-blown attack or anything. I was off by maybe 5% of my lung capacity, not even enough to notice before I started running. And since I've lived with this all my life, I just patiently waited and eventually I felt better. When I was a kid I used to sometimes panic, which always made it worse.
Anyway.
On my first loop I saw some bunnies and later on, Jack Russell Terrier Guy, who I hadn't seen in a long time. He's got the cutest little dogs, one with chocolate-colored patches, one with caramel-colored patches. They always run just ahead of him, nosing in the bushes, sniffing for rabbit trails, but the instant JRT Guy calls for them, they run happily back to him and prance around his feet. What good dogs!
At the end of my first loop I was in need of a pit stop. Badly. So I detoured up Memorial to the Shell station, where I found the restroom already in use and had to wait. But it was worth it and even though it was a longer delay than I would've liked, I was soon heading back to the trails. I finished my first loop, with detour, in just over an hour. Excellent!
The second loop went pretty well, too. As I started up the hill near Sabine Street, I noticed there was some new art at the top of the hill. First I saw a bronze doe, head up as if gazing out across the expanse of the bayou and park below. Then I saw the buck, head down as if grazing. Aw, how sweet. What a peaceful little scene! It was only as I crested the hill that I noticed the third sculpture in the piece-- a bronze cougar sneaking up on the grazing buck. WTF? This is not uplifting! It's downright depressing! Okay, okay, I know it's just art, but… well, was the predator really necessary?
Yes, yes, it's just art. I'll shut up about it now.
I finished my second loop and decided to run my third loop in the opposite direction, just for a little variety. By now my old nemesis from a month ago-- ITB pain-- had returned. But this time I was prepared and slipped my new cho-pat strap on. It helped for a bit, but I kept having to stop to readjust the strap and stretch a bit. A cramp in my hip was my real problem and releasing tension in the kneecap wasn't helping much any more by the time I got to Montrose. I walked for a bit, thinking about cutting the course short, but tightened the strap instead and decided to push on, finally having the bright idea to try moving the strap to where it would release the tension on the side of my leg, instead of underneath the kneecap. This helped quite a bit and I finished the run, albeit a bit painfully at the end, in just under three hours.
Less than three hours for 17 miles? Hey, let's think about that a minute.
I was on a narrow, hilly, uneven trail. I had to take a long pit stop at the gas station. I had to rinse and refill my bottles a few times. I had to stop and muck around with the cho-pat strap a few times. I had to stop and walk or stretch several times.
None of that would've happened on the Houston Marathon race course, with the possible exception of the ITB issue. Assuming I can get that resolved soon, I should be able to easily do 18 or 19 miles in three hours under marathon conditions-- flat smooth roads, volunteers handing me my water, Immodium eliminating the need for bathroom breaks. Maybe I could even do 20 in three hours. To make my Boston qualifying time of 3:45, I would have to do another 6.2 in 45 minutes, which would be totally unrealistic. But I haven't really made running a big priority, either. I've done no speedwork, no hill repeats, and I only run 20-25 miles per week. If I could bring my marathon pace down to where I hit the 21 mile mark in 3 hours...
Wow. I'm so close. I had no idea. No idea at all.
Boston. Getting that qualifying time is the brass ring for all of us amateur runners. Up until now it seemed so totally not doable that I figured if I ever got a BQ it would be when I was at an age when people would be shocked that I was still putting one foot in front of the other. They would let me register just for the human interest story: 110 Year Old Woman Hobbles Her Way To Boston Finish Line!
This morning changed all that.
So I'm going to go for it. What the heck, what have I got to lose? Even if I don't quite get my BQ, just having a solid under-4:00 marathon would be huge for me. Enormous. But Boston… why not?
I'll be posting my plan for the next few months soon!
Dream big, friends!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: Massage and rest day
Wednesday: 4 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 17 mile run
So I hit the trails this morning with the idea of doing three loops around the bayou. I started out with a bit of asthma trouble because I was late taking my meds this morning. It wasn't a huge problem, more like just a nuisance. I kept waiting for the meds to kick in and help bring up the fluid in my lungs, but that didn't happen until almost four miles into the run. Oh well. It wasn't like it was a full-blown attack or anything. I was off by maybe 5% of my lung capacity, not even enough to notice before I started running. And since I've lived with this all my life, I just patiently waited and eventually I felt better. When I was a kid I used to sometimes panic, which always made it worse.
Anyway.
On my first loop I saw some bunnies and later on, Jack Russell Terrier Guy, who I hadn't seen in a long time. He's got the cutest little dogs, one with chocolate-colored patches, one with caramel-colored patches. They always run just ahead of him, nosing in the bushes, sniffing for rabbit trails, but the instant JRT Guy calls for them, they run happily back to him and prance around his feet. What good dogs!
At the end of my first loop I was in need of a pit stop. Badly. So I detoured up Memorial to the Shell station, where I found the restroom already in use and had to wait. But it was worth it and even though it was a longer delay than I would've liked, I was soon heading back to the trails. I finished my first loop, with detour, in just over an hour. Excellent!
The second loop went pretty well, too. As I started up the hill near Sabine Street, I noticed there was some new art at the top of the hill. First I saw a bronze doe, head up as if gazing out across the expanse of the bayou and park below. Then I saw the buck, head down as if grazing. Aw, how sweet. What a peaceful little scene! It was only as I crested the hill that I noticed the third sculpture in the piece-- a bronze cougar sneaking up on the grazing buck. WTF? This is not uplifting! It's downright depressing! Okay, okay, I know it's just art, but… well, was the predator really necessary?
Yes, yes, it's just art. I'll shut up about it now.
I finished my second loop and decided to run my third loop in the opposite direction, just for a little variety. By now my old nemesis from a month ago-- ITB pain-- had returned. But this time I was prepared and slipped my new cho-pat strap on. It helped for a bit, but I kept having to stop to readjust the strap and stretch a bit. A cramp in my hip was my real problem and releasing tension in the kneecap wasn't helping much any more by the time I got to Montrose. I walked for a bit, thinking about cutting the course short, but tightened the strap instead and decided to push on, finally having the bright idea to try moving the strap to where it would release the tension on the side of my leg, instead of underneath the kneecap. This helped quite a bit and I finished the run, albeit a bit painfully at the end, in just under three hours.
Less than three hours for 17 miles? Hey, let's think about that a minute.
I was on a narrow, hilly, uneven trail. I had to take a long pit stop at the gas station. I had to rinse and refill my bottles a few times. I had to stop and muck around with the cho-pat strap a few times. I had to stop and walk or stretch several times.
None of that would've happened on the Houston Marathon race course, with the possible exception of the ITB issue. Assuming I can get that resolved soon, I should be able to easily do 18 or 19 miles in three hours under marathon conditions-- flat smooth roads, volunteers handing me my water, Immodium eliminating the need for bathroom breaks. Maybe I could even do 20 in three hours. To make my Boston qualifying time of 3:45, I would have to do another 6.2 in 45 minutes, which would be totally unrealistic. But I haven't really made running a big priority, either. I've done no speedwork, no hill repeats, and I only run 20-25 miles per week. If I could bring my marathon pace down to where I hit the 21 mile mark in 3 hours...
Wow. I'm so close. I had no idea. No idea at all.
Boston. Getting that qualifying time is the brass ring for all of us amateur runners. Up until now it seemed so totally not doable that I figured if I ever got a BQ it would be when I was at an age when people would be shocked that I was still putting one foot in front of the other. They would let me register just for the human interest story: 110 Year Old Woman Hobbles Her Way To Boston Finish Line!
This morning changed all that.
So I'm going to go for it. What the heck, what have I got to lose? Even if I don't quite get my BQ, just having a solid under-4:00 marathon would be huge for me. Enormous. But Boston… why not?
I'll be posting my plan for the next few months soon!
Dream big, friends!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: Massage and rest day
Wednesday: 4 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 17 mile run
Another Ride That Wasn't
It had been my plan to do an organized ride this morning in West Columbia, about 60 miles to the south of here. But when I got home from work and popped the hood to add some windshield wiper fluid, I noticed a fine misting of droplets on one of my radiator hoses. I couldn't find an obvious source because the hose passed underneath the air intake duct and the last thing I wanted to do is start moving things around taking things apart in my cranky car when I wasn't entirely sure I knew what I was doing. I've had issues with random coolant alarms going off for several months now, so I decided that the best thing would be to forgo the 120 mile round trip drive to West Columbia and take the car to the mechanic in the morning instead.
As a quick aside, I was by no means irresponsible about the coolant buzzer. The engine never got hot, I have all new clamps and hoses, I checked for leakage regularly and the alarm would go off sometimes a mile from the house, then I wouldn't hear it for weeks, even with round trips to the airport and back. It showed symptoms of a sensor issue, not a genuine leak. When I've had coolant leaks, there is an actual pattern to when the alarms go off. With a leak, the buzzer doesn't go off in a parking lot, only to not beep at me again for weeks, no matter how much driving I do.
Anyway, the mechanic found nothing obviously wrong today, even after hooking the car up to the computer. But clearly something is up. So we're monitoring the situation and we'll probably get the system drained, run some sealant through, let it sit 24 hours and refill it. My mechanic says that should be sufficient to fix a problem so minor that in spite of all the times I went looking for it this summer, I could find nothing before this weekend. Heck, if the problem is so minor even the mechanic can't find it, it's got to be pretty small, right?
So this weekend was another fun ride that wasn't. This is really starting to get old, folks. But after today's run, I'm thinking I might have bigger fish to fry in the short term. Yes, you guessed it-- I might actually be able to run a Boston qualifying time this January!
More on that in a separate post.
As a quick aside, I was by no means irresponsible about the coolant buzzer. The engine never got hot, I have all new clamps and hoses, I checked for leakage regularly and the alarm would go off sometimes a mile from the house, then I wouldn't hear it for weeks, even with round trips to the airport and back. It showed symptoms of a sensor issue, not a genuine leak. When I've had coolant leaks, there is an actual pattern to when the alarms go off. With a leak, the buzzer doesn't go off in a parking lot, only to not beep at me again for weeks, no matter how much driving I do.
Anyway, the mechanic found nothing obviously wrong today, even after hooking the car up to the computer. But clearly something is up. So we're monitoring the situation and we'll probably get the system drained, run some sealant through, let it sit 24 hours and refill it. My mechanic says that should be sufficient to fix a problem so minor that in spite of all the times I went looking for it this summer, I could find nothing before this weekend. Heck, if the problem is so minor even the mechanic can't find it, it's got to be pretty small, right?
So this weekend was another fun ride that wasn't. This is really starting to get old, folks. But after today's run, I'm thinking I might have bigger fish to fry in the short term. Yes, you guessed it-- I might actually be able to run a Boston qualifying time this January!
More on that in a separate post.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Iron Plan
Okay, so here I've been kind of spinning my wheels for a few weeks, feeling a little lost after deciding that for a lot of reasons, registering for an Ironman race was not a wise idea at this time. My goal for a few years now has been to do the iron distance before I'm 40, which means do it next year or miss my goal.
But last night I remembered I had been waiting on race reviews of the Redman Triathlon, a new-this-year iron distance race in Oklahoma City. When I first heard of it last fall, I considered registering for the inaugural race, but quickly decided against it. Signing up for an unknown, unreviewed race as one's first-ever attempt at the distance would be insanity.
But they held the race the weekend Rita didn't come to Houston and the reviews I've read are pretty positive. So...
The plan now is that I will train "as if." Because Redman isn't an M-dot, I can register as late as next summer for the September race. If something isn't going right in my training or if personal matters have come up, I won't sign up and I won't be losing a huge registration fee like I would be if I signed up for an Ironman a year in advance. And I can drive to Oklahoma City, which would be cheaper than airfare to an Ironman location, especially since I wouldn't have to worry about shipping my bike. If I don't want to drive the whole distance in one day, I can crash at my cousin's place in Arlington on the way. Cool! In fact, I bet I can get a few of my Texas cousins to come see me at the race. Extra coolness! And on the drive home I can stop off for friend and cousin visits in the Austin or San Antonio area. A little mini-vacation. It only gets better, doesn't it?
So that's the plan, friends. After the Houston Marathon (which I will hopefully be able to run this year) I will begin training for the Redman iron distance race.
I feel more motivated already! But maybe that's just because I got Mary to work on my legs today and a cool front is moving in. There's nothing like getting the spring back in your step and having the promise of a fall breeze.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
But last night I remembered I had been waiting on race reviews of the Redman Triathlon, a new-this-year iron distance race in Oklahoma City. When I first heard of it last fall, I considered registering for the inaugural race, but quickly decided against it. Signing up for an unknown, unreviewed race as one's first-ever attempt at the distance would be insanity.
But they held the race the weekend Rita didn't come to Houston and the reviews I've read are pretty positive. So...
The plan now is that I will train "as if." Because Redman isn't an M-dot, I can register as late as next summer for the September race. If something isn't going right in my training or if personal matters have come up, I won't sign up and I won't be losing a huge registration fee like I would be if I signed up for an Ironman a year in advance. And I can drive to Oklahoma City, which would be cheaper than airfare to an Ironman location, especially since I wouldn't have to worry about shipping my bike. If I don't want to drive the whole distance in one day, I can crash at my cousin's place in Arlington on the way. Cool! In fact, I bet I can get a few of my Texas cousins to come see me at the race. Extra coolness! And on the drive home I can stop off for friend and cousin visits in the Austin or San Antonio area. A little mini-vacation. It only gets better, doesn't it?
So that's the plan, friends. After the Houston Marathon (which I will hopefully be able to run this year) I will begin training for the Redman iron distance race.
I feel more motivated already! But maybe that's just because I got Mary to work on my legs today and a cool front is moving in. There's nothing like getting the spring back in your step and having the promise of a fall breeze.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Causes and Water Fountains
I don't keep up with the 5K run and walk scene, so I found out the hard way that today was the annual Race For The Cure event along the bayou. On my first loop around the bayou, I thought nothing of it. Some people were milling around and I had to take a slight detour to avoid the worst of it, but no big deal. I finished my first loop, ran up to the Memorial Park Picnic Loop to see the cyclists and refill my water bottles, then returned to the bayou for a second loop.
And that's where I ran into trouble.
I had thought that by this point (10 am) the worst of the ruckus would be over. After I came out the other side of the Memorial Drive underpass I could hear music and an announcer on the other side of the bayou. I thought maybe it was some sort of finishers party, but as I crossed the bayou at Sabine and entered the Allen Parkway trails, the voice resolved itself into that of a finish line announcer, congratulating the walkers. From his words I inferred that breast cancer survivors had some sort of identifying bib or shirt, because he was singling them out for special congratulations, asking their names, encouraging them to raise their hands in the air as they crossed the finish line and then directing them to pick up a carnation. And indeed, I saw some women wandering around the post-walk area with big pink carnations in their hands.
Inspiring, really. My roommate from my first year of college had breast cancer in her early thirties, so it made me a bit misty-eyed to see the crowds and hear the announcer congratulting survivors. He said that the event had raised over $2 million! We are a rich people that after giving so generously to hurricane relief we can still give so much to other types of causes.
So even though my legs were stiff (I definitely need to make an appointment with Mary) and I was ready for the run to be over, I was reminded that my own troubles were nothing compared to what some people have survived or are going through right now.
This feeling lasted about half a mile, which is the point at which I rounded a bend in the trail and came face to face with a solid wall of walkers. They spilled over Allen Parkway, which had been closed for their benefit, and onto my trails. My trails! OMG! Come on, ladies (and a few gents)! You paid for the roads to be closed for your benefit and now you're going to deprive me of my taxpayer's right to use the trail? Survivor or not, that's downright unfriendly!
Well, there were far too many of them for me to even attempt to continue running west along the bayou trail. It was go back or nothing.
So go back I did. I was glumly trying to recalculate what my mileage would be if I had to retrace the area from the underpass across Sabine and around to the circular garden. It wasn't an easy task since I didn't know the distance of that specific part of the route and wasn't wearing my GPS. But then I noticed a Mexican family I had passed a few minutes before walking off the path as if they had some secret knowledge of an alternate route. So I followed them and was surprised to find that there was a safe way to cut back to an earlier part of the Memorial side of the trails without revisiting Sabine, the outdoor chapel and the underpass. I ended up re-tracing only the part of my route that corresponded to the part I would've done had the walkers not been in the way, so the mileage remained the same-- no math involved, thank goodness. So to the clever familia on the trail this morning, I offer a heartfelt gracias, amigos!
I cut back over to the Allen Parkway side of the bayou at the earliest opportunity and finished my run as planned. On the final stretch of the route home I passed the new water fountain by the Memorial Drive bus stop. It's shiny. It's green. It's fancy, with three levels-- one for adults, one for kids and one for dogs. It's even got its own little fence around it to keep it safe from who knows what. Too bad the water tastes and smells like rust. Yuck. Oh well. The better to keep the water fountain looking shiny and new, since I doubt anyone will actually end up using it.
It's a funny world we live in.
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 14 mile run
And that's where I ran into trouble.
I had thought that by this point (10 am) the worst of the ruckus would be over. After I came out the other side of the Memorial Drive underpass I could hear music and an announcer on the other side of the bayou. I thought maybe it was some sort of finishers party, but as I crossed the bayou at Sabine and entered the Allen Parkway trails, the voice resolved itself into that of a finish line announcer, congratulating the walkers. From his words I inferred that breast cancer survivors had some sort of identifying bib or shirt, because he was singling them out for special congratulations, asking their names, encouraging them to raise their hands in the air as they crossed the finish line and then directing them to pick up a carnation. And indeed, I saw some women wandering around the post-walk area with big pink carnations in their hands.
Inspiring, really. My roommate from my first year of college had breast cancer in her early thirties, so it made me a bit misty-eyed to see the crowds and hear the announcer congratulting survivors. He said that the event had raised over $2 million! We are a rich people that after giving so generously to hurricane relief we can still give so much to other types of causes.
So even though my legs were stiff (I definitely need to make an appointment with Mary) and I was ready for the run to be over, I was reminded that my own troubles were nothing compared to what some people have survived or are going through right now.
This feeling lasted about half a mile, which is the point at which I rounded a bend in the trail and came face to face with a solid wall of walkers. They spilled over Allen Parkway, which had been closed for their benefit, and onto my trails. My trails! OMG! Come on, ladies (and a few gents)! You paid for the roads to be closed for your benefit and now you're going to deprive me of my taxpayer's right to use the trail? Survivor or not, that's downright unfriendly!
Well, there were far too many of them for me to even attempt to continue running west along the bayou trail. It was go back or nothing.
So go back I did. I was glumly trying to recalculate what my mileage would be if I had to retrace the area from the underpass across Sabine and around to the circular garden. It wasn't an easy task since I didn't know the distance of that specific part of the route and wasn't wearing my GPS. But then I noticed a Mexican family I had passed a few minutes before walking off the path as if they had some secret knowledge of an alternate route. So I followed them and was surprised to find that there was a safe way to cut back to an earlier part of the Memorial side of the trails without revisiting Sabine, the outdoor chapel and the underpass. I ended up re-tracing only the part of my route that corresponded to the part I would've done had the walkers not been in the way, so the mileage remained the same-- no math involved, thank goodness. So to the clever familia on the trail this morning, I offer a heartfelt gracias, amigos!
I cut back over to the Allen Parkway side of the bayou at the earliest opportunity and finished my run as planned. On the final stretch of the route home I passed the new water fountain by the Memorial Drive bus stop. It's shiny. It's green. It's fancy, with three levels-- one for adults, one for kids and one for dogs. It's even got its own little fence around it to keep it safe from who knows what. Too bad the water tastes and smells like rust. Yuck. Oh well. The better to keep the water fountain looking shiny and new, since I doubt anyone will actually end up using it.
It's a funny world we live in.
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 14 mile run
Friday, September 30, 2005
Back To Reality
My challenge for this week has been to get psyched up for both work and training.
Yes, I had to go back to work this week. Darn. We went back at noon on Wednesday, but only about half the staff made it in, so things were pretty peaceful. Neither of my assistants came in so I stayed busy with simple things-- taking plastic bags off computers, handing out and accepting forms and answering silly questions. The kinds of things my assistants usually handle. It was a nice change of pace.
Several of us also spent a good long while eating ice cream and gabbing about hurricanes. Hey, it beats working. Blue Bell's Banana Pudding ice cream ROCKS!
That was Wednesday.
Thursday and Friday were normal. Way too normal. We were totally back to such joys as the irritable boss who only half-explains things, lots of big complicated projects and not a simple thing in sight. Oh wait, I take that back. A simple request came through today-- a travel request form needed to be filled out. Normally one of my assistants would handle such a thing, but time was of the essence and I had both of them busy with a much more important project that I'm not allowed to do as a matter of university policy. So I figured what the heck, it's good to keep my lower-level skills up to date, and who doesn't like an easy task after weeks of endlessly convoluted ones? So I filled out the travel request form.
As far as workouts go, I'm afraid I've lost a little steam since deciding that my budget simply can't accomodate Iron Star this year or an Iron Man signup for next year. Or rather, I could do it, but not as comfortably as I would've liked, after giving to Katrina relief efforts and having to rebuild my own hurricane supply stash more quickly than I had planned. And at the rate things are going with storms, gas prices and Dan's kidney stones, I don't know how much of our usual fall bike series we'll be able to salvage either.
So I might do some of the marathon warmup series this fall, just to feel like I'm doing something. I swore off the 20K, 25K and 30K races several years ago because it seemed I was almost as jinxed on them as on the Houston Marathon. Only unlike the marathon, I actually was able to run the shorter races. It's just that I always would get injured. It's the weirdest thing. But I haven't run any of the races in the series since I got my Q-angle problem fixed, so maybe I'll give it another go, just for something to do. And if I don't hurt myself, I'll sign up for the marathon again and see if this time I actually make it to the starting line.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 45 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 45 minute bike, Spinervals 7.0 Uphill Grind
Wednesday: 2 mile morning run, 4 mile evening run
Thursday: 45 minute bike, Spinervals 5.0 Mental Toughness (1st half only)
Friday: Rest Day
Yes, I had to go back to work this week. Darn. We went back at noon on Wednesday, but only about half the staff made it in, so things were pretty peaceful. Neither of my assistants came in so I stayed busy with simple things-- taking plastic bags off computers, handing out and accepting forms and answering silly questions. The kinds of things my assistants usually handle. It was a nice change of pace.
Several of us also spent a good long while eating ice cream and gabbing about hurricanes. Hey, it beats working. Blue Bell's Banana Pudding ice cream ROCKS!
That was Wednesday.
Thursday and Friday were normal. Way too normal. We were totally back to such joys as the irritable boss who only half-explains things, lots of big complicated projects and not a simple thing in sight. Oh wait, I take that back. A simple request came through today-- a travel request form needed to be filled out. Normally one of my assistants would handle such a thing, but time was of the essence and I had both of them busy with a much more important project that I'm not allowed to do as a matter of university policy. So I figured what the heck, it's good to keep my lower-level skills up to date, and who doesn't like an easy task after weeks of endlessly convoluted ones? So I filled out the travel request form.
As far as workouts go, I'm afraid I've lost a little steam since deciding that my budget simply can't accomodate Iron Star this year or an Iron Man signup for next year. Or rather, I could do it, but not as comfortably as I would've liked, after giving to Katrina relief efforts and having to rebuild my own hurricane supply stash more quickly than I had planned. And at the rate things are going with storms, gas prices and Dan's kidney stones, I don't know how much of our usual fall bike series we'll be able to salvage either.
So I might do some of the marathon warmup series this fall, just to feel like I'm doing something. I swore off the 20K, 25K and 30K races several years ago because it seemed I was almost as jinxed on them as on the Houston Marathon. Only unlike the marathon, I actually was able to run the shorter races. It's just that I always would get injured. It's the weirdest thing. But I haven't run any of the races in the series since I got my Q-angle problem fixed, so maybe I'll give it another go, just for something to do. And if I don't hurt myself, I'll sign up for the marathon again and see if this time I actually make it to the starting line.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 45 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 45 minute bike, Spinervals 7.0 Uphill Grind
Wednesday: 2 mile morning run, 4 mile evening run
Thursday: 45 minute bike, Spinervals 5.0 Mental Toughness (1st half only)
Friday: Rest Day
Monday, September 26, 2005
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Back to Normal... Sort of...
We were unable to find an open restaurant last night. Darn. But we had some parmesan and some red pepper pesto in the fridge, so we made up some pasta instead. I had a honeycrisp apple for dessert and Dan had some bread pudding with vanilla ice cream. Not bad for a couple of folks who had been led to expect to be eating camp food and Clif bars by Saturday night!
This morning I tried to do a long run, since I had missed my usual Saturday run. Man, was it hot out there today-- even by my standards! Not only was it hot, but the humidity felt like about 350% and there was no breeze at all. Total suckage.
Nevertheless, I gave it the old college try. I started out on the bayou trail, where I saw lots of bunnies in places they don't usually hang out after 7 am. I guess they felt a bit safer with fewer people and dogs on the trails. After I turned around at Sabine and headed west, I decided that instead of sticking to one of my usual routes I should do a bit of scouting. So my run turned into a reconnaisance mission as I checked for open stores and signs of life at area restaurants. Obviously I couldn't tell if places were opening for lunch (it was too early in the morning for that), but I checked out the places that open for breakfast, like some of the Westheimer coffee bars. I also kept an eye out for evidence that prep work might be going on inside, like patio furniture set out.
It was nice to see the town coming back to life. A lot of places were still closed, some shops still boarded up and a lot of gas stations still had pumps wrapped in plastic. But a few places already had gas again and the lines stretched around the block. I went inside the open grocery stores and found that there was fresh produce to be had, which made me happy. Tidbit's greens got kind of wilty in the coolers at Camp Tidbit, so I was anxious to get her some new lettuce, parsley and cilantro.
I finished my recon with a trip to Central Market, which was open! Yay! I refilled my water bottles and took my now-dripping self back toward River Oaks. I managed to find a few sprinklers to run through in the neighborhood, but unfortunately they were set pretty low and only cooled my knees and ankles a bit. By now I was really suffering, both from the heat and humidity as well as from tightness in my legs from all the running up and down stairs I had done this past week. Not to mention that I totally slacked on my stretching routine. You know, it's easy to get complacent and think those trigger point balls, foam rollers and stretching routines aren't really doing much, but just take a few days off, run up and down the stairs a lot and see you your next run feels! Ugh.
So I cut things short just shy of 11 miles, of which I walked about half a mile, so I only ran a little over 10.5 miles. Damn, I'm such a slug.
Maybe the Y will be open in the morning and I can go for a swim and do a little work in the weight room.
After I got home, Dan called our favorite Indian place and we were thrilled to find them open! We didn't get there until nearly 1:00 and there were only two tables available. But by the time we got our plates filled a booth had opened up, so we were very happy. I feel a little bad for the retail and restaurant people who had to go back to work today, but the few places that were open were going gangbusters and I know any waitstaff on duty today made a killing. Even tonight as we drove home from a walk at Memorial Park, we saw a pizzeria and a Mexican place on Washington Avenue with full parking lots. Lots of folks either lost power and had no edible food in their fridge or else they did what we did and ate most of their perishables ahead of the storm and after all the fuss just wanted to be dressed up a bit, out in public and being waited on.
We went to Central Market tonight after our walk because we were both craving watermelon. They were out, but we got some canteloupe and honeydew instead. Good enough. I think we both just wanted something fresh. It's funny, but the moment I realized I could no longer get fresh fruits and vegetables, I started craving them. I now have a salad, some melon, bananas, yellow squash and broccoli in the fridge. And Tid has some lettuce and parsley. We're set!
This has been an interesting experience for us. I hope we don't have to go through this again, but the longer we remain on the Gulf Coast, the more likely that this will happen again. It's been a good dry run. We both have a better sense of what we need, what we'll miss when the city shuts down, and how long we can wait before moving to our shelter. For the most part, I think our plans are solid. My long-term project is to continue to refine our hurricane plans based on what we learned this time.
The bottom line though, is that things are slowly returning to normal around here. And we don't have to return to work until noon Wednesday, so I can still enjoy a weekend of sorts.
All's well that ends well, right?
This morning I tried to do a long run, since I had missed my usual Saturday run. Man, was it hot out there today-- even by my standards! Not only was it hot, but the humidity felt like about 350% and there was no breeze at all. Total suckage.
Nevertheless, I gave it the old college try. I started out on the bayou trail, where I saw lots of bunnies in places they don't usually hang out after 7 am. I guess they felt a bit safer with fewer people and dogs on the trails. After I turned around at Sabine and headed west, I decided that instead of sticking to one of my usual routes I should do a bit of scouting. So my run turned into a reconnaisance mission as I checked for open stores and signs of life at area restaurants. Obviously I couldn't tell if places were opening for lunch (it was too early in the morning for that), but I checked out the places that open for breakfast, like some of the Westheimer coffee bars. I also kept an eye out for evidence that prep work might be going on inside, like patio furniture set out.
It was nice to see the town coming back to life. A lot of places were still closed, some shops still boarded up and a lot of gas stations still had pumps wrapped in plastic. But a few places already had gas again and the lines stretched around the block. I went inside the open grocery stores and found that there was fresh produce to be had, which made me happy. Tidbit's greens got kind of wilty in the coolers at Camp Tidbit, so I was anxious to get her some new lettuce, parsley and cilantro.
I finished my recon with a trip to Central Market, which was open! Yay! I refilled my water bottles and took my now-dripping self back toward River Oaks. I managed to find a few sprinklers to run through in the neighborhood, but unfortunately they were set pretty low and only cooled my knees and ankles a bit. By now I was really suffering, both from the heat and humidity as well as from tightness in my legs from all the running up and down stairs I had done this past week. Not to mention that I totally slacked on my stretching routine. You know, it's easy to get complacent and think those trigger point balls, foam rollers and stretching routines aren't really doing much, but just take a few days off, run up and down the stairs a lot and see you your next run feels! Ugh.
So I cut things short just shy of 11 miles, of which I walked about half a mile, so I only ran a little over 10.5 miles. Damn, I'm such a slug.
Maybe the Y will be open in the morning and I can go for a swim and do a little work in the weight room.
After I got home, Dan called our favorite Indian place and we were thrilled to find them open! We didn't get there until nearly 1:00 and there were only two tables available. But by the time we got our plates filled a booth had opened up, so we were very happy. I feel a little bad for the retail and restaurant people who had to go back to work today, but the few places that were open were going gangbusters and I know any waitstaff on duty today made a killing. Even tonight as we drove home from a walk at Memorial Park, we saw a pizzeria and a Mexican place on Washington Avenue with full parking lots. Lots of folks either lost power and had no edible food in their fridge or else they did what we did and ate most of their perishables ahead of the storm and after all the fuss just wanted to be dressed up a bit, out in public and being waited on.
We went to Central Market tonight after our walk because we were both craving watermelon. They were out, but we got some canteloupe and honeydew instead. Good enough. I think we both just wanted something fresh. It's funny, but the moment I realized I could no longer get fresh fruits and vegetables, I started craving them. I now have a salad, some melon, bananas, yellow squash and broccoli in the fridge. And Tid has some lettuce and parsley. We're set!
This has been an interesting experience for us. I hope we don't have to go through this again, but the longer we remain on the Gulf Coast, the more likely that this will happen again. It's been a good dry run. We both have a better sense of what we need, what we'll miss when the city shuts down, and how long we can wait before moving to our shelter. For the most part, I think our plans are solid. My long-term project is to continue to refine our hurricane plans based on what we learned this time.
The bottom line though, is that things are slowly returning to normal around here. And we don't have to return to work until noon Wednesday, so I can still enjoy a weekend of sorts.
All's well that ends well, right?
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Everything In Its Place
Well, we got lucky. We never lost power. After a breakfast of hot oatmeal while watching the storm footage, we went back to Camp Tidbit to retrieve the last of the things we'd left there. Then we spent the afternoon putting things away, returning patio furniture to the balcony, taking things out of bags, etc.
What a lot of work!
On the one hand, it feels like overkill-- all the work we did bagging things up and moving our most irrreplacable items to safety. But then again, we did this on a day when we were told to expect a direct hit from a Category 4 hurricane. A storm of that magnitude would've taken off parts of our roof and broken some windows. Had Thursday's forecast been correct, being able to come home to find most of our stuff safe and dry would've been of tremendous psychological value. I remember reading about people coming back to their New Orleans homes after Katrina and finding their belongings damaged by water or covered in black mold. That wouldn't have happened at my place!
What a pain to have to undo all that, though!
I think if I see another large ziplock bag or black trash bag I'll have a nervous breakdown.
So now it's 5:00, we're hungry and we're going to see if we can find a restaurant open. There's plenty to eat here at home if we feel like cooking, but we're kinda in the mood to be waited on.
We deserve it.
More later.
What a lot of work!
On the one hand, it feels like overkill-- all the work we did bagging things up and moving our most irrreplacable items to safety. But then again, we did this on a day when we were told to expect a direct hit from a Category 4 hurricane. A storm of that magnitude would've taken off parts of our roof and broken some windows. Had Thursday's forecast been correct, being able to come home to find most of our stuff safe and dry would've been of tremendous psychological value. I remember reading about people coming back to their New Orleans homes after Katrina and finding their belongings damaged by water or covered in black mold. That wouldn't have happened at my place!
What a pain to have to undo all that, though!
I think if I see another large ziplock bag or black trash bag I'll have a nervous breakdown.
So now it's 5:00, we're hungry and we're going to see if we can find a restaurant open. There's plenty to eat here at home if we feel like cooking, but we're kinda in the mood to be waited on.
We deserve it.
More later.
Blustery Day
It's 7:15 am and we're having some sustained winds followed up with stronger gusts. You can hear the wind howling in some areas of the apartment, but here in the bedroom all I can hear is the wind in the trees. Thus far, this has been no worse than any storm with a lot of wind, except that this is much more sustained.
We still have power. Maybe we'll get lucky. There are a lot of downed gutters and branches though, and the lights have flickered from time to time, so we'll see.
I'm not terribly impressed so far, but I'm happy to remain unimpressed. I think the bigger danger may end up being from flooding. So far though, we've had very little rain. I'm going to be unhappy if it turns out I did battle with my first-floor neighbor's cat for nothing. That animal hates people and I would've happily left it there if I hadn't had good reason to be concerned about flooding.
I was too tired to stay up any longer and went to bed around 1:30. I slept pretty well and only just woke up a few minutes ago and figured I'd check the news and see how far along we are with this thing. It all looks good, as near as I can tell. Good enough that I might just go back to bed.
Now I understand why some people sleep through hurricanes. After all those preparations, by the time the damn thing actually arrives, you have no energy left!
We still have power. Maybe we'll get lucky. There are a lot of downed gutters and branches though, and the lights have flickered from time to time, so we'll see.
I'm not terribly impressed so far, but I'm happy to remain unimpressed. I think the bigger danger may end up being from flooding. So far though, we've had very little rain. I'm going to be unhappy if it turns out I did battle with my first-floor neighbor's cat for nothing. That animal hates people and I would've happily left it there if I hadn't had good reason to be concerned about flooding.
I was too tired to stay up any longer and went to bed around 1:30. I slept pretty well and only just woke up a few minutes ago and figured I'd check the news and see how far along we are with this thing. It all looks good, as near as I can tell. Good enough that I might just go back to bed.
Now I understand why some people sleep through hurricanes. After all those preparations, by the time the damn thing actually arrives, you have no energy left!
Friday, September 23, 2005
Transformers
Dan says explosions are just transformers blowing. Better than some of the things my imagination was coming up with. I've heard two so far, but we still have power. I'm gonna power down for now though, and hope I can get back online later.
Another Update
11:30 pm, still got lights, lots of wind but nothing we can't handle. Dan says he's heard the building creak a little, but I think that's to be expected. Unnerving, but sorta normal, I guess. As soon as the lights go out for good, I'm going to make a run down the first floor apartments, turn off all the breakers and grab my ice from my neighbor's freezer where I stored it.
The ice will help our fridge stay cool longer, so I don't want to grab it before I need it. And I don't want to shut off breakers now in case someone might actually be dumb enough to be trying to ride out the storm on the first floor that flooded so badly in some parts in 2001.
The say the worst of it will be in the next couple hours. Of course there's always the back side of the 'cane to consider and the potential for tornados, but I'll breathe easier once I know the eye has landed. Especially if we still have power.
Just heard something that sounded like a distant explosion. Very disconcerting. Gonna quit blogging for now.
The ice will help our fridge stay cool longer, so I don't want to grab it before I need it. And I don't want to shut off breakers now in case someone might actually be dumb enough to be trying to ride out the storm on the first floor that flooded so badly in some parts in 2001.
The say the worst of it will be in the next couple hours. Of course there's always the back side of the 'cane to consider and the potential for tornados, but I'll breathe easier once I know the eye has landed. Especially if we still have power.
Just heard something that sounded like a distant explosion. Very disconcerting. Gonna quit blogging for now.
Update
It's 7:45 pm, candles, lanterns and flashlights are staged, so far, so good.
I wish they'd hurry and update the probabilities map, but on TV they're still saying a hit to the east around 2 am. They're saying we can expect 50-60 mph winds with gusts up to 75, or maybe even less if we're lucky. Doesn't sound too bad.
Bush Intercontinental Airport is reporting winds in the 50s, but I don't know if that's what we're having here. I only know we went for a little walk around the complex to take a few pictures of the sunset storm clouds and it was pretty blustery.
The lady on the news says we could lose power at any moment, as tree limbs come down. I'm hoping she's wrong, but I'll go ahead and post this now, just in case.
I wish they'd hurry and update the probabilities map, but on TV they're still saying a hit to the east around 2 am. They're saying we can expect 50-60 mph winds with gusts up to 75, or maybe even less if we're lucky. Doesn't sound too bad.
Bush Intercontinental Airport is reporting winds in the 50s, but I don't know if that's what we're having here. I only know we went for a little walk around the complex to take a few pictures of the sunset storm clouds and it was pretty blustery.
The lady on the news says we could lose power at any moment, as tree limbs come down. I'm hoping she's wrong, but I'll go ahead and post this now, just in case.
Breaking Camp
Okay, okay, I know it sounds a little crazy, but we decided around noon today to pack up and go back home. All indications are that the storm will hit to the east and we'll be on the "clean" side. We can expect winds up to 75 mph, but I think we'll be able to withstand that here at home. I guess we'll find out, won't we?
They also indicated this morning that this would be a major flooding event and they even listed my zip code as one where people should evacuate if they had flooding during Allison in 2001. My apartment building had some flooding, but certainly not to the third floor. Just a little on the first.
So, given that we had set up Camp Tidbit in a building where we really weren't supposed to be, in an area where we couldn't park the car up high to protect it from water, we decided we'd be more comfortable at home.
We decided to try to make it back in just one trip, so we left some things behind. Most of it I don't think we'll need, but I'm miffed to find that Dan left his laptop. Now, of course we can retrieve it later, but that's not the point. The point is that if we have a working land line but no power, I could've still posted to my blog and sent email if I had that laptop. But now I can't. So if you don't hear from me for awhile, that's why-- no power, no laptop.
Maybe someone else around here will let me use theirs.
Or if the roads are passable, I can always go back to Camp Tidbit and get it.
Then again, maybe we'll be okay and we won't be without power for long, if at all. A few weeks ago someone left a comment on one of the many Katrina blogs out there. They said that any old sailor knows that a hurricane always veers to the east before making landfall. If that's true, Rita may hit western Louisiana, in which case our lights just might stay on. That would be nice.
This afternoon was a pretty one-- sunny and not as unbearably hot as recently. Driving home we saw a lot of cyclists out, enjoying being able to ride the city streets without fear of being killed. Couples were out strolling, people were walking their dogs or letting them play at the parks, a few runners were on the bayou trails-- it was lovely and peaceful. It was like Houston had suddenly become a small friendly town. Everyone talked to each other, everyone smiled and waved. With so many people gone, I guess we recognized each other as fellow hardy souls.
It started clouding up around late afternoon-- high gray clouds in layers like a fancy torte. The breezes of early afternoon have turned gusty now as more and more clouds move in. I can hear the gusts passing through the trees on my property. I hope those trees don't come down.
I just checked the models and it looks like this thing is starting to turn toward the Texas-Louisiana border. Maybe that old salt was right. It's good news for us, bad for anyone in it's path. Bad for New Orleans, too. But at this point, how much more can happen to that poor city? Flooding again? Been there.
Well, I'm going to try to get a little nap before this thing starts getting serious.
They also indicated this morning that this would be a major flooding event and they even listed my zip code as one where people should evacuate if they had flooding during Allison in 2001. My apartment building had some flooding, but certainly not to the third floor. Just a little on the first.
So, given that we had set up Camp Tidbit in a building where we really weren't supposed to be, in an area where we couldn't park the car up high to protect it from water, we decided we'd be more comfortable at home.
We decided to try to make it back in just one trip, so we left some things behind. Most of it I don't think we'll need, but I'm miffed to find that Dan left his laptop. Now, of course we can retrieve it later, but that's not the point. The point is that if we have a working land line but no power, I could've still posted to my blog and sent email if I had that laptop. But now I can't. So if you don't hear from me for awhile, that's why-- no power, no laptop.
Maybe someone else around here will let me use theirs.
Or if the roads are passable, I can always go back to Camp Tidbit and get it.
Then again, maybe we'll be okay and we won't be without power for long, if at all. A few weeks ago someone left a comment on one of the many Katrina blogs out there. They said that any old sailor knows that a hurricane always veers to the east before making landfall. If that's true, Rita may hit western Louisiana, in which case our lights just might stay on. That would be nice.
This afternoon was a pretty one-- sunny and not as unbearably hot as recently. Driving home we saw a lot of cyclists out, enjoying being able to ride the city streets without fear of being killed. Couples were out strolling, people were walking their dogs or letting them play at the parks, a few runners were on the bayou trails-- it was lovely and peaceful. It was like Houston had suddenly become a small friendly town. Everyone talked to each other, everyone smiled and waved. With so many people gone, I guess we recognized each other as fellow hardy souls.
It started clouding up around late afternoon-- high gray clouds in layers like a fancy torte. The breezes of early afternoon have turned gusty now as more and more clouds move in. I can hear the gusts passing through the trees on my property. I hope those trees don't come down.
I just checked the models and it looks like this thing is starting to turn toward the Texas-Louisiana border. Maybe that old salt was right. It's good news for us, bad for anyone in it's path. Bad for New Orleans, too. But at this point, how much more can happen to that poor city? Flooding again? Been there.
Well, I'm going to try to get a little nap before this thing starts getting serious.
Friday Morning at Camp Tidbit
I’m having a breakfast of bread pudding and watching the morning news. After last night’s confident talk about the storm passing to our east, the reporters this morning are being vague again. I haven’t yet logged on to check the models to see just why their tone has changed. Hopefully they’re just trying to add a little drama to their broadcast.
Last night I made us a big bowl of garlic and parmesan risotto in which I cooked a bit of beef jerky for meat. It came out pretty good, with leftovers for today. We had some boxed lemon tarts for dessert. I have some camp food, but I’m trying to hold off on that until and unless we really need it. For now I can use a microwave and toaster oven. There’s even a crock pot here, which I wish I had known when I was packing. I also wish I had known there were no coffee mugs, Styrofoam cups or silverware. Oh well. I’ve been able to scrounge those few items that we need.
In case you’re wondering how I managed to overlook some really obvious basics, some of it was the stupidity that sets in when you haven’t slept well in a few days and have spent hours putting things in ziplocks, cutting open trash bags and taping them to things and putting tape and cardboard over the windows. You just get dumb after awhile. We also spent much of yesterday arguing over choice of shelter. The second-choice had all the things we don’t have here, but was inferior for post-storm and had no good interior rooms, although it had lots of windowless hallways. And finally, we didn’t do our last supply run. The missing items were on Dan’s list, but we decided at the last minute to just try to find a safe place for the car here so we would have transportation after the storm. The original plan called for Dan to go home with the punch list and get a ride back with a friend.
Plans change.
Well, if I have to do this again I’ll make better plans for the plans to change.
The news this morning is all about the tragic bus fire in Dallas and the traffic and lack of gas on the highways. It’s just like we speculated last night—opening up the traffic through Houston is great, but once you’re on those two-lane country roads with gas stations few and far between, what then?
There’s a lady being interviewed on TV. She’s claiming that she and a lot of other people are at a gas station in some country town where they have gas but are preventing her and others from buying. Sounds fishy to me. Why wouldn’t a gas station want to sell gas? There’s even someone saying this station has armed guards sending people away! WTF? Urban Texans are wonderful, generous people but some of those rednecks in the little towns just leave me baffled.
We’ve heard lots of good stories though, of people helping each other, bringing water for overheated cars, taking gas to people without. It’s good to hear there’s some sense in the world. People are being urged to do whatever they can for the stranded people, up to and including offering them shelter. Wow.
Tidbit and Pixel have settled into their new digs. They were pretty confused at first and Pixel was downright unhappy. But by the time I woke up in the wee hours of the morning, Tid was going to town, bouncing around on the rug and investigating everything. Pix finally decided to forgive us for manhandling him into the pet carrier—he crept onto our air mattress with us, curled up and went to sleep.
Now we’re just waiting for the rain to begin. Once it starts raining, we can be pretty confident of not being discovered. I can post more, use lights at night (for as long as we have them) and go down hall to the restroom more often. I’m looking forward to that one!
So look for another post from Camp Tidbit once it starts raining.
Last night I made us a big bowl of garlic and parmesan risotto in which I cooked a bit of beef jerky for meat. It came out pretty good, with leftovers for today. We had some boxed lemon tarts for dessert. I have some camp food, but I’m trying to hold off on that until and unless we really need it. For now I can use a microwave and toaster oven. There’s even a crock pot here, which I wish I had known when I was packing. I also wish I had known there were no coffee mugs, Styrofoam cups or silverware. Oh well. I’ve been able to scrounge those few items that we need.
In case you’re wondering how I managed to overlook some really obvious basics, some of it was the stupidity that sets in when you haven’t slept well in a few days and have spent hours putting things in ziplocks, cutting open trash bags and taping them to things and putting tape and cardboard over the windows. You just get dumb after awhile. We also spent much of yesterday arguing over choice of shelter. The second-choice had all the things we don’t have here, but was inferior for post-storm and had no good interior rooms, although it had lots of windowless hallways. And finally, we didn’t do our last supply run. The missing items were on Dan’s list, but we decided at the last minute to just try to find a safe place for the car here so we would have transportation after the storm. The original plan called for Dan to go home with the punch list and get a ride back with a friend.
Plans change.
Well, if I have to do this again I’ll make better plans for the plans to change.
The news this morning is all about the tragic bus fire in Dallas and the traffic and lack of gas on the highways. It’s just like we speculated last night—opening up the traffic through Houston is great, but once you’re on those two-lane country roads with gas stations few and far between, what then?
There’s a lady being interviewed on TV. She’s claiming that she and a lot of other people are at a gas station in some country town where they have gas but are preventing her and others from buying. Sounds fishy to me. Why wouldn’t a gas station want to sell gas? There’s even someone saying this station has armed guards sending people away! WTF? Urban Texans are wonderful, generous people but some of those rednecks in the little towns just leave me baffled.
We’ve heard lots of good stories though, of people helping each other, bringing water for overheated cars, taking gas to people without. It’s good to hear there’s some sense in the world. People are being urged to do whatever they can for the stranded people, up to and including offering them shelter. Wow.
Tidbit and Pixel have settled into their new digs. They were pretty confused at first and Pixel was downright unhappy. But by the time I woke up in the wee hours of the morning, Tid was going to town, bouncing around on the rug and investigating everything. Pix finally decided to forgive us for manhandling him into the pet carrier—he crept onto our air mattress with us, curled up and went to sleep.
Now we’re just waiting for the rain to begin. Once it starts raining, we can be pretty confident of not being discovered. I can post more, use lights at night (for as long as we have them) and go down hall to the restroom more often. I’m looking forward to that one!
So look for another post from Camp Tidbit once it starts raining.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Live From Camp Tidbit
Reporting here from Camp Tidbit!
We’re safely established at our first-choice shelter. So far, so good. We have TV, computer access (want to limit it, though, in case IP addresses are being monitored), lots of food, water, personal hygiene stuff, animals, books, air mattress… we’re in business!
Funny thing is that now it looks like Rita will hit to our east, putting us on the “clean” side and in a much better position than we thought we were last night. I’m half-tempted to suggest we go back home, but we’ve settled in and unpacked so unless we get caught and kicked out, we’re here for the duration.
The city was pretty empty on our trips over today. Downtown had a little bit of activity this morning on our first supply drop-off, but by our final trip with the pets at 4 pm, only vagrants and cops were downtown.
The freeways were bumper to bumper earlier today, but they’ve opened up the HOV and contra-flow to help people get out of the city. Of course this isn’t much help once you get beyond the contra-flow area and onto the 2-lane highways outside of town, but at least it gets people moving a bit and might help them reach their destinations before they run out of gas.
Or not. I talked to a cousin near Austin today and he said the gas stations were out of gas and the stores nearly empty. Austin and San Antonio are expecting heavy rain and tornados and I think Dallas expects possible flooding as well.
But at this point, unless the storm turns back toward us, we’re out of the woods.
At least as much as one can be in the path of a major hurricane.
We’re safely established at our first-choice shelter. So far, so good. We have TV, computer access (want to limit it, though, in case IP addresses are being monitored), lots of food, water, personal hygiene stuff, animals, books, air mattress… we’re in business!
Funny thing is that now it looks like Rita will hit to our east, putting us on the “clean” side and in a much better position than we thought we were last night. I’m half-tempted to suggest we go back home, but we’ve settled in and unpacked so unless we get caught and kicked out, we’re here for the duration.
The city was pretty empty on our trips over today. Downtown had a little bit of activity this morning on our first supply drop-off, but by our final trip with the pets at 4 pm, only vagrants and cops were downtown.
The freeways were bumper to bumper earlier today, but they’ve opened up the HOV and contra-flow to help people get out of the city. Of course this isn’t much help once you get beyond the contra-flow area and onto the 2-lane highways outside of town, but at least it gets people moving a bit and might help them reach their destinations before they run out of gas.
Or not. I talked to a cousin near Austin today and he said the gas stations were out of gas and the stores nearly empty. Austin and San Antonio are expecting heavy rain and tornados and I think Dallas expects possible flooding as well.
But at this point, unless the storm turns back toward us, we’re out of the woods.
At least as much as one can be in the path of a major hurricane.
Quick Update
Well, it's a fine mess I find myself in.
When I went to work on Wednesday, the best prediction for Rita's landfall was a fair bit south of here and as a Category 3. They closed the university at noon, but I was stuck there late because no one thought to bag the conference room equipment. Then I had to do my own and I had also brought some stuff from home to store in my nice sturdy office building and that required bagging, too.
I got home around 2 pm to find Rita was nearly a Category 5.
I started wrapping stuff in plastic, still not terribly worried because according to the best thinking of the moment, I wasn't in the projected path of a direct hit. But all that changed by nighfall and now I'm sitting in the bulls-eye of the biggest hurricane to ever threaten the Texas coast.
Oh, and did I mention that it had never been my intention to ride out anything bigger than a 3 in my apartment complex? I'm on the third floor and there will be roof and window damage. I'm petsitting on the first floor, but that apartment flooded during Allison in 2001. Yeah, I can swim, but... sheesh.
I can't evacuate. The traffic is moving at 4 mph in every safe direction and even though I topped off my tank yesterday I'll be out of gas before I hit the city limits. Too bad, because I have people who will take me in in every major city in this state. But there's no gas to be found on the roads out of town-- it was mostly used up earlier in the week by people fleeing parts further south where evacuation is mandatory. It's neither mandated nor requested for my area. I'm just not confident I'm in a Category 4 or 5 structure.
Damn.
This area has never emptied out this far in advance of a hurricane! Stupid Katrina.
If Tidbit has any helicopter-owning fans out there, get in touch!
In the meantime, I have a few options I can explore. At least two of them would most likely keep me with some kind of internet capability until landfall and maybe even afterwards. At one possible shelter I might be able to get online. The other option is a guaranteed no-internet one, but it might actually be the safest one. So far Dan is resisting because it involves downtown, and glass will be a huge problem in our shiny, modern downtown. It wouldn't be a problem in the shelter I've suggested, but he's not seeing that for some reason.
And so today will be an interesting one. If you praying types would pray for an absence of hostile security guards at our shelters of choice today, I'd be much obliged.
I, Dan, Pixel and most of all Tidbit will be safe, so don't worry! I'll try to post again, but if you hear no more from me before landfall, consider me safe, high up in the enclosed stairwell of a very, very safe downtown parking garage.
Tidbit sends her love to all her fans... and wants to know what the heck all the duct tape is for?!?!
When I went to work on Wednesday, the best prediction for Rita's landfall was a fair bit south of here and as a Category 3. They closed the university at noon, but I was stuck there late because no one thought to bag the conference room equipment. Then I had to do my own and I had also brought some stuff from home to store in my nice sturdy office building and that required bagging, too.
I got home around 2 pm to find Rita was nearly a Category 5.
I started wrapping stuff in plastic, still not terribly worried because according to the best thinking of the moment, I wasn't in the projected path of a direct hit. But all that changed by nighfall and now I'm sitting in the bulls-eye of the biggest hurricane to ever threaten the Texas coast.
Oh, and did I mention that it had never been my intention to ride out anything bigger than a 3 in my apartment complex? I'm on the third floor and there will be roof and window damage. I'm petsitting on the first floor, but that apartment flooded during Allison in 2001. Yeah, I can swim, but... sheesh.
I can't evacuate. The traffic is moving at 4 mph in every safe direction and even though I topped off my tank yesterday I'll be out of gas before I hit the city limits. Too bad, because I have people who will take me in in every major city in this state. But there's no gas to be found on the roads out of town-- it was mostly used up earlier in the week by people fleeing parts further south where evacuation is mandatory. It's neither mandated nor requested for my area. I'm just not confident I'm in a Category 4 or 5 structure.
Damn.
This area has never emptied out this far in advance of a hurricane! Stupid Katrina.
If Tidbit has any helicopter-owning fans out there, get in touch!
In the meantime, I have a few options I can explore. At least two of them would most likely keep me with some kind of internet capability until landfall and maybe even afterwards. At one possible shelter I might be able to get online. The other option is a guaranteed no-internet one, but it might actually be the safest one. So far Dan is resisting because it involves downtown, and glass will be a huge problem in our shiny, modern downtown. It wouldn't be a problem in the shelter I've suggested, but he's not seeing that for some reason.
And so today will be an interesting one. If you praying types would pray for an absence of hostile security guards at our shelters of choice today, I'd be much obliged.
I, Dan, Pixel and most of all Tidbit will be safe, so don't worry! I'll try to post again, but if you hear no more from me before landfall, consider me safe, high up in the enclosed stairwell of a very, very safe downtown parking garage.
Tidbit sends her love to all her fans... and wants to know what the heck all the duct tape is for?!?!
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Our Weekend With The Stones
No, not those Stones, unfortunately.
I had three-- count 'em-- THREE bike ride options for this weekend and ended up not doing any of them.
So how did this happen?
Well, Dan came home from work on Friday complaining of blood in his urine. I quizzed him about symptoms and although we were concerned, nothing seemed life-threatening and there are some perfectly benign reasons for temporary blood in the urine. We figured that unless symptoms worsened he would probably be okay until the doctor's office opened on Monday. After all, it was after five o'clock and we had spent a fair sum for our Ravi Shankar tickets. He was experiencing no significant pain so we decided to simply monitor the situation.
We did, however, decide that the Gator Fest bike ride in Anahuac Saturday morning wasn't a good idea. Darn. It's a cool little ride-- not a lot of riders, good rest stops and a free ticket to the festival afterwards. Well, maybe next year.
So we went to the concert, and while we were waiting for things to get started, Dan suddenly reached around to his back and said something was hurting. "What's back here?" he asked.
"Your kidney," I said. "I bet you've got a stone."
We discussed this possibility a bit, but the pain passed and we enjoyed the concert and late night breakfast afterwards.
Saturday started out normally-- I did my long run, we went for Indian buffet, I took an afternoon nap. But toward evening Dan started having a lot of discomfort. His symptoms multiplied. By now though, it was Saturday night and I told him I was willing to take him to an emergency room if he thought something was life-threatening, but otherwise he was probably better off at home until morning. On a Saturday night, an emergency room would likely triage him last after the party night fare of car accidents, drug overdoses, etc. He could end up waiting for hours.
With Dan feeling so bad though, I thought it best to not go for either of my Sunday morning ride options. Dammit.
In the morning, with him still in a lot of pain, I took him to a minor emergency clinic I suddenly remembered. It's a neat concept, really-- it's basically an emergency room (run by one of our very best hospitals) for things that aren't immediately life-threatening, but that can't wait until normal doctor hours. I went there for an athsma attack once and was thrilled to find myself at the head of the triage line, which would've never happened in an ordinary emergency room.
At the clinic, Dan got to see a doctor within thirty minutes and was given a preliminary diagnosis of kidney stones. They wanted to run some tests so I left him there and took care of a few errands. When I came back, they had found two stones on the scan, one of which was still hanging out in his kidney, the other on its way down. They had also given him something for pain and rehydrated him a bit. One thing about kidney stones that I hadn't realized (but that I find very cool) is that in its effort to flush the stone, the body starts pulling water from anywhere in the body it can find it, leading to constipation, dry mouth and other symptoms if you're not aggressively taking in more fluids. Wow. The body is pretty amazing, isn't it? Drink your water, peeps!
So by the time we were through with all that, it was late in the afternoon, I was hungry and tired, and we decided that a nap was in order. Dan was feeling up for our usual Sunday walk later in the evening, and by the time we got home it was too late even for a ride on the trainer.
So no bike ride for me this Sunday.
I feel like such a slug.
But hey, my husband is feeling much better and sometimes you just have to put your own stuff on hold to help a person out.
Stay healthy!
I had three-- count 'em-- THREE bike ride options for this weekend and ended up not doing any of them.
So how did this happen?
Well, Dan came home from work on Friday complaining of blood in his urine. I quizzed him about symptoms and although we were concerned, nothing seemed life-threatening and there are some perfectly benign reasons for temporary blood in the urine. We figured that unless symptoms worsened he would probably be okay until the doctor's office opened on Monday. After all, it was after five o'clock and we had spent a fair sum for our Ravi Shankar tickets. He was experiencing no significant pain so we decided to simply monitor the situation.
We did, however, decide that the Gator Fest bike ride in Anahuac Saturday morning wasn't a good idea. Darn. It's a cool little ride-- not a lot of riders, good rest stops and a free ticket to the festival afterwards. Well, maybe next year.
So we went to the concert, and while we were waiting for things to get started, Dan suddenly reached around to his back and said something was hurting. "What's back here?" he asked.
"Your kidney," I said. "I bet you've got a stone."
We discussed this possibility a bit, but the pain passed and we enjoyed the concert and late night breakfast afterwards.
Saturday started out normally-- I did my long run, we went for Indian buffet, I took an afternoon nap. But toward evening Dan started having a lot of discomfort. His symptoms multiplied. By now though, it was Saturday night and I told him I was willing to take him to an emergency room if he thought something was life-threatening, but otherwise he was probably better off at home until morning. On a Saturday night, an emergency room would likely triage him last after the party night fare of car accidents, drug overdoses, etc. He could end up waiting for hours.
With Dan feeling so bad though, I thought it best to not go for either of my Sunday morning ride options. Dammit.
In the morning, with him still in a lot of pain, I took him to a minor emergency clinic I suddenly remembered. It's a neat concept, really-- it's basically an emergency room (run by one of our very best hospitals) for things that aren't immediately life-threatening, but that can't wait until normal doctor hours. I went there for an athsma attack once and was thrilled to find myself at the head of the triage line, which would've never happened in an ordinary emergency room.
At the clinic, Dan got to see a doctor within thirty minutes and was given a preliminary diagnosis of kidney stones. They wanted to run some tests so I left him there and took care of a few errands. When I came back, they had found two stones on the scan, one of which was still hanging out in his kidney, the other on its way down. They had also given him something for pain and rehydrated him a bit. One thing about kidney stones that I hadn't realized (but that I find very cool) is that in its effort to flush the stone, the body starts pulling water from anywhere in the body it can find it, leading to constipation, dry mouth and other symptoms if you're not aggressively taking in more fluids. Wow. The body is pretty amazing, isn't it? Drink your water, peeps!
So by the time we were through with all that, it was late in the afternoon, I was hungry and tired, and we decided that a nap was in order. Dan was feeling up for our usual Sunday walk later in the evening, and by the time we got home it was too late even for a ride on the trainer.
So no bike ride for me this Sunday.
I feel like such a slug.
But hey, my husband is feeling much better and sometimes you just have to put your own stuff on hold to help a person out.
Stay healthy!
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Saturday Run
I had a pretty good run this morning, although the summer heat was back. For the past two weeks we've had overcast Saturday mornings with a hint of cool in the breeze, but today we were back to August temps and high humidity. Oh well. Not much more of this before we're properly into fall. And in another few months I'll be dealing with cold-temperature-induced athsma and wishing it were summer again, so there.
Nothing very interesting happened on this run, probably because I stuck to the most runner-friendly areas and didn't go seeking adventure anywhere more interesting. I did the bayou loop, then went up to Memorial Park and did a loop there, then returned to the bayou and did a reverse loop and home.
I saw no bunnies at all around the bayou today, which was disappointing, but I got a late start so maybe that's why. I also saw very few dogs at the dog park. Maybe those Alligator Habitat signs are scaring people away. I couldn't help noticing that the only dogs there were big ones, almost like the owners of small dogs are staying away. Alligator food.
I'm enjoying a lot of success with my new long-run drink. For you kids at home, here's how to make it:
1 packet lemon-lime Amino Vital
3 Endurolyte capsules
1 packet raspberry Hammer Gel
20 oz water
I like to start with 8 oz water, add the Amino Vital, Endurolytes (break open the capsules and shake out the powder) and Hammer Gel, then add another 8 oz of water and shake really, really well. Then add the remaining 4 oz of water, shake again gently (which is all you can do when it's a 20 oz bottle with 20 oz of stuff in it) then pour the contents into fuel belt bottles.
It tastes like pink lemonade and is oh so good!
Recent Workouts
Last Sunday: 2.5 hours bike, CTS Climbing video, Spinervals 5.0 Mental Toughness
Monday: 30 minute core and upper body, 45 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 35 minute run (ladder drill)
Wednesday: 45 minute elliptical
Thursday: 35 minute run
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 16 mile run
Nothing very interesting happened on this run, probably because I stuck to the most runner-friendly areas and didn't go seeking adventure anywhere more interesting. I did the bayou loop, then went up to Memorial Park and did a loop there, then returned to the bayou and did a reverse loop and home.
I saw no bunnies at all around the bayou today, which was disappointing, but I got a late start so maybe that's why. I also saw very few dogs at the dog park. Maybe those Alligator Habitat signs are scaring people away. I couldn't help noticing that the only dogs there were big ones, almost like the owners of small dogs are staying away. Alligator food.
I'm enjoying a lot of success with my new long-run drink. For you kids at home, here's how to make it:
I like to start with 8 oz water, add the Amino Vital, Endurolytes (break open the capsules and shake out the powder) and Hammer Gel, then add another 8 oz of water and shake really, really well. Then add the remaining 4 oz of water, shake again gently (which is all you can do when it's a 20 oz bottle with 20 oz of stuff in it) then pour the contents into fuel belt bottles.
It tastes like pink lemonade and is oh so good!
Recent Workouts
Last Sunday: 2.5 hours bike, CTS Climbing video, Spinervals 5.0 Mental Toughness
Monday: 30 minute core and upper body, 45 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 35 minute run (ladder drill)
Wednesday: 45 minute elliptical
Thursday: 35 minute run
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 16 mile run
The Master
Last night (Friday) Dan and I went downtown to see Ravi Shankar at the "Festival of India." I'm not entirely sure why they called it a festival since it was a performance of Indian music at the Society for Performing Arts, formerly Jones Hall. It was a concert, not a festival.
But I digress.
The first half of the concert was a group of musicians and singers from Ravi Shankar's ashram, all led by his daughter Anoushka. Anoushka is only twenty-four but already is a stunningly accomplished sitar player. Of course, she had the best for a teacher and got the right stuff in her DNA as well. Lucky girl. Watching her perform I couldn't help thinking that in another time or place her amazing talent would've gone unnoticed and undeveloped. What a shame that would've been to the musical world! This is why we must support efforts that promote opportunities for all, regardless of gender, race, religion or class. Think what we might be missing!
We were told that after the intermission "The Master" would perform for us, and sure enough once we were back in our seats Ravi's students filed in and sat on the floor off to one side. Then the tamboura and personal tuner came on stage, then the tabla player (applause), then Anoushka (lots of applause), and then finally The Master himself, Ravi Shankar!
Everyone on stage stood, pressed their hands together and bowed to him as he entered and the entire audience rose as well. Although I had sensed the vibe that we would all rise, I was still surprised that the entire audience did it.
Ravi and Anoushka only played three pieces for us, but they were those long pieces, full of improvisation that seem to take up to six years before anyone figures out how to end it. I especially loved the way Ravi and his daughter traded the melody back and forth, getting into a little competetition as to who could do the fanciest improv work. Although they both demonstrated stunning dexterity and talent, Anoushka played with the bright and aggressive intensity of youth, while Ravi's complicated riffs had the mellower character of his eighty five years and his status as one who could showcase his skills without any sense that he had something to prove. The loving smiles they exchanged as they each took turns showing off their talents was almost as good as the music itself.
After they had finished performing and stood up to receive our ovation, Anoushka turned to her father and bowed for his blessing. He placed a gentle hand on her head, but ended up giving her a hug instead.
Some things are even more moving than a virtuoso musical performance.
But I digress.
The first half of the concert was a group of musicians and singers from Ravi Shankar's ashram, all led by his daughter Anoushka. Anoushka is only twenty-four but already is a stunningly accomplished sitar player. Of course, she had the best for a teacher and got the right stuff in her DNA as well. Lucky girl. Watching her perform I couldn't help thinking that in another time or place her amazing talent would've gone unnoticed and undeveloped. What a shame that would've been to the musical world! This is why we must support efforts that promote opportunities for all, regardless of gender, race, religion or class. Think what we might be missing!
We were told that after the intermission "The Master" would perform for us, and sure enough once we were back in our seats Ravi's students filed in and sat on the floor off to one side. Then the tamboura and personal tuner came on stage, then the tabla player (applause), then Anoushka (lots of applause), and then finally The Master himself, Ravi Shankar!
Everyone on stage stood, pressed their hands together and bowed to him as he entered and the entire audience rose as well. Although I had sensed the vibe that we would all rise, I was still surprised that the entire audience did it.
Ravi and Anoushka only played three pieces for us, but they were those long pieces, full of improvisation that seem to take up to six years before anyone figures out how to end it. I especially loved the way Ravi and his daughter traded the melody back and forth, getting into a little competetition as to who could do the fanciest improv work. Although they both demonstrated stunning dexterity and talent, Anoushka played with the bright and aggressive intensity of youth, while Ravi's complicated riffs had the mellower character of his eighty five years and his status as one who could showcase his skills without any sense that he had something to prove. The loving smiles they exchanged as they each took turns showing off their talents was almost as good as the music itself.
After they had finished performing and stood up to receive our ovation, Anoushka turned to her father and bowed for his blessing. He placed a gentle hand on her head, but ended up giving her a hug instead.
Some things are even more moving than a virtuoso musical performance.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Just Another Week
I had several important dealines to meet this week for fiscal year cleanup. Added to that were several projects that should've been simple but instead each of them had about half a dozen strange complications. Nice. Well, figuring out the complicated stuff is what they pay me for.
Making matters worse, I haven't felt very good this week. On Wednesday I had a really nasty headache-- the kind that merely laughs at things like aspirin and ibuprofen. Nothing was touching this headache, and the fact that I had carpooled with Dan and couldn't go home only added to my overall stress levels as I tried to do budget cleanup while feeling like my head was trying to explode. Things tapered off by mid-afternoon, but in the meantime it sure wasn't pretty.
I was glad to feel a little better by afternoon because I got a visit from a friend from New Orleans. Actually, I don't know Justin that well, but he's the brother of a very dear friend, which makes him practically family. His attitude about being unemployed and displaced from his home is really remarkable. I was reminded of that feeling one gets after a particularly long and difficult effort in endurance sport, where all the stuff in life that doesn't matter is stripped away and what you're left with is just the essentials and a beautiful clarity of thought that allows you to appreciate the few things in life that are actually important.
Anyway, I think Justin is going to be fine. He has friends and family to stay with, he works in IT security (like who can't find work in that field these days?) and although his New Orleans apartment is basically in the middle of a lake, it seems to be intact. He might not be allowed back until November, which sucks, but it's so much better than it could've been. I mean, at least his stuff is there, even if he can't get to it.
That was about the only interesting thing that happened this week. I spent Wednesday night and all of Thursday and Friday with some kind of minor digestive upset. It wasn't incapacitating, just annoying. I think it messed with my electrolyte levels or maybe I just wasn't drinking enough water because I had such bad cramps in my feet Wednesday night that I thought it wise to skip my Thursday morning swim. If you're getting foot cramps before you're even in the water, trying to swim is only begging for trouble.
So after not feeling very good this week I wasn't surprised that this morning's run was kind of sluggish. My body tried to whine and complain for the first mile, but once it figured out that I wasn't falling for any of that, everything sort of worked out. I did part of my run at Memorial Park, to be certain that I would have plenty of water, food and restrooms in close proximity, given that I'd been feeling sub-par for a few days. The park was crowded, as it always is on a Saturday morning but I saw only one incident of clueless moms with strollers. Come on, ladies, if the trail has narrowed to the point where you can barely keep going side by side, can you not come to the obvious conclusion that you're blocking everyone else? Going single file until the trail widens again isn't going to kill you!
We had intermittent showers for part of the day, which made for nice napping weather after Dan and I got back from having Indian buffet for lunch. Tonight I'm just writing a bit and getting caught up on the news. Not much going on, and similarly dull plans for tomorrow. I'm finally starting to feel a bit normal again after spending the better part of the week not sick enough for a doctor but not well enough to feel good. I'm not going to push my luck and try anything out of the ordinary.
Recent Workouts
Last Sunday: 2 hours bike (CTS Climing video and Spinervals 2.0 Time Trial Special)
Monday: 5 mile walk
Tuesday: 1000 meter swim, 1 mile run, 45 minute bike Spinervals 7.0 Uphill Grind
Wednesday: 30 minute core and strength training, 45 minute elliptical
Thursday: 30 minute bike (Cyclerobx video), 2 mile run
Friday: rest day
Saturday: 14 mile run
Making matters worse, I haven't felt very good this week. On Wednesday I had a really nasty headache-- the kind that merely laughs at things like aspirin and ibuprofen. Nothing was touching this headache, and the fact that I had carpooled with Dan and couldn't go home only added to my overall stress levels as I tried to do budget cleanup while feeling like my head was trying to explode. Things tapered off by mid-afternoon, but in the meantime it sure wasn't pretty.
I was glad to feel a little better by afternoon because I got a visit from a friend from New Orleans. Actually, I don't know Justin that well, but he's the brother of a very dear friend, which makes him practically family. His attitude about being unemployed and displaced from his home is really remarkable. I was reminded of that feeling one gets after a particularly long and difficult effort in endurance sport, where all the stuff in life that doesn't matter is stripped away and what you're left with is just the essentials and a beautiful clarity of thought that allows you to appreciate the few things in life that are actually important.
Anyway, I think Justin is going to be fine. He has friends and family to stay with, he works in IT security (like who can't find work in that field these days?) and although his New Orleans apartment is basically in the middle of a lake, it seems to be intact. He might not be allowed back until November, which sucks, but it's so much better than it could've been. I mean, at least his stuff is there, even if he can't get to it.
That was about the only interesting thing that happened this week. I spent Wednesday night and all of Thursday and Friday with some kind of minor digestive upset. It wasn't incapacitating, just annoying. I think it messed with my electrolyte levels or maybe I just wasn't drinking enough water because I had such bad cramps in my feet Wednesday night that I thought it wise to skip my Thursday morning swim. If you're getting foot cramps before you're even in the water, trying to swim is only begging for trouble.
So after not feeling very good this week I wasn't surprised that this morning's run was kind of sluggish. My body tried to whine and complain for the first mile, but once it figured out that I wasn't falling for any of that, everything sort of worked out. I did part of my run at Memorial Park, to be certain that I would have plenty of water, food and restrooms in close proximity, given that I'd been feeling sub-par for a few days. The park was crowded, as it always is on a Saturday morning but I saw only one incident of clueless moms with strollers. Come on, ladies, if the trail has narrowed to the point where you can barely keep going side by side, can you not come to the obvious conclusion that you're blocking everyone else? Going single file until the trail widens again isn't going to kill you!
We had intermittent showers for part of the day, which made for nice napping weather after Dan and I got back from having Indian buffet for lunch. Tonight I'm just writing a bit and getting caught up on the news. Not much going on, and similarly dull plans for tomorrow. I'm finally starting to feel a bit normal again after spending the better part of the week not sick enough for a doctor but not well enough to feel good. I'm not going to push my luck and try anything out of the ordinary.
Recent Workouts
Last Sunday: 2 hours bike (CTS Climing video and Spinervals 2.0 Time Trial Special)
Monday: 5 mile walk
Tuesday: 1000 meter swim, 1 mile run, 45 minute bike Spinervals 7.0 Uphill Grind
Wednesday: 30 minute core and strength training, 45 minute elliptical
Thursday: 30 minute bike (Cyclerobx video), 2 mile run
Friday: rest day
Saturday: 14 mile run
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Object Lessons
It's been hard for me to care about my writing or triathlon stuff this past week. Ever since I realized the full enormity of what was about to happen to New Orleans and the rest of the Southern Gulf Coast, I've been focused on little else. I've missed some workouts, made some others, substituted for the missed workouts in whatever way I could when it was possible. This wasn't because I particularly care about training for anything any more (I'm putting all paid events on standby for now) but because I've needed the mental break and stress relief of physical activity.
Already I think I could write a book about what I'm learning from watching this disaster play out. I'm still mentally processing things, with more insight likely to come after I volunteer this weekend at one of our shelters.
But for now, here are a few things that have struck me about the events of this week.
1. Witnessing History. Did any of us think we'd see a major U.S. city more or less wiped off the map, flooded beyond recognition, full of death, privation, looting and despair? Did any of us ever really expect to see such scenes in our lifetime? People starving in squalor in a famous sports arena, waiting in filth and desperation in a convention center and on freeway overpasses. An entire metropolitan area of 1.3 million people either fled, evacuated out afterwards or dead. All this in a week. All this in America. A major city, a cultural icon… gone. Survivors fanning out all across the American South. If they had made a movie about it, people would've happily bought their tickets, munched their popcorn while staring at the screen in fascination, but never really believed such a think could happen here.
Take a minute and imagine your city (or the nearest large city, if you're in a small town) gone. Can you wrap your brain around it? It doesn't seem real, does it? Just a sick fantasy, a twisted mental exercise. But it did happen. It's real and it's serious.
2. Economics. How much time has any of us spent researching or even just pondering the economic significance of our offshore oil facilities, the Port of New Orleans, the nearby ports that handle petroleum shipments and the entire traffic of goods up and down the Mississippi River? We didn't simply lose the birthplace of jazz and the home of the most raucous Mardis Gras party in North America, we took an economic hit whose effects will ripple through our economy for months, if not years.
Will the places that have taken all the evacuees be able to hold up under the economic strain? That remains to be seen. Houston has grown by over 100,000 people in less than a week. Think about that for a minute. Can your city or town absorb that many people into its economy on such short notice? Can Houston's?
At least 25,000 of the people now in Houston were poor even before Katrina struck. Of the other 75,000 or more, most were middle class but now their jobs are gone. Can we find work for that many people? Can we give food and aid to so many for the months it will take for them to get on their feet, either here, in their former home or in some other city? It remains to be seen. In the short term, it is staggering to witness the generosity of Houston and other areas that have absorbed New Orleans' metropolitan population of 1.3 million, as well as thousands of former residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We are indeed a rich nation that we can give so much, so quickly, with so little pain. But what will the long term hold for the people who lost everything and for the people who are trying to help them rebuild?
3. Generosity. I have never seen such an outpouring of generosity among my fellow citizens. Everywhere I look people are giving time, money, food and clothing to the victims of this disaster. As early as Wednesday, we had two people in my building collecting for area shelters. By the end of the week you could donate at nearly every grocery store, school, office, pet supply store and professional sporting event. There were volunteer opportunities in almost every corner of the Houston metropolitan area. And if you couldn't donate your time, there were dropoff points for goods-- just pull up, unload and be on your way. By the weekend, lemonade stands had sprung up around the city as even the children tried to do their part to raise funds for the needy.
People can say what they will about Texans in general and Houstonians in particular, but let no one ever say we aren't quick to open our hearts and wallets to those in need.
4. Lessons Learned. This is the most important bit.
Everyone lives in danger of some sort of natural or man-made disaster occurring in their area. When was the last time you looked around and asked yourself if you're prepared?
If you had to evacuate, do you know where you would go, what you would take, how you would get there? And if for some reason your first plan wasn't feasible, do you have another plan?
And what have you done to supply yourself, if sheltering in place is your best plan?
FEMA says you need to have on hand at least 72 hours worth of food, water, medications and other essentials, because 72 hours is the earliest they can get to you after disaster strikes. Katrina has shown us that 72 hours may overly optimistic.
If that doesn't give you some serious food for thought, you haven't been paying attention to the news this week.
If money is tight, it can seem daunting to stock up on supplies to last a week or more. But it's not as hard as it seems. Just drop a few extra things in your shopping cart each week and you'll be surprised at how quickly your little stash builds. Buy batteries. Hand sanitizer. Baby wipes so you can take sponge baths. Toilet paper. Canned goods. Crackers. Clif Bars. Vitamins. Buy one of those pitchers that filters and purifies water. Then get online or go to a camping equipment store and buy water purification tablets. If you're in the south, buy mosquito netting and a battery-operated fan. If you're in the north, you may want a few extra blankets. Buy slowly and methodically and in a year you'll be pleasantly surprised at how prepared you are. Don't wait until disaster is immenent and the stores are empty!
Never let anyone try to tell you you're some kind of survivalist kook just because you want to be able to care for yourself and your loved ones if something goes horribly wrong. Sometimes the very best thing you can do for victims of a crisis is not be among the needy. So buy an extra can of soup when you're at the store tomorrow. And when you go next week, buy another.
Don't rely one anyone but yourself to save you and your loved ones.
Remember New Orleans.
Already I think I could write a book about what I'm learning from watching this disaster play out. I'm still mentally processing things, with more insight likely to come after I volunteer this weekend at one of our shelters.
But for now, here are a few things that have struck me about the events of this week.
1. Witnessing History. Did any of us think we'd see a major U.S. city more or less wiped off the map, flooded beyond recognition, full of death, privation, looting and despair? Did any of us ever really expect to see such scenes in our lifetime? People starving in squalor in a famous sports arena, waiting in filth and desperation in a convention center and on freeway overpasses. An entire metropolitan area of 1.3 million people either fled, evacuated out afterwards or dead. All this in a week. All this in America. A major city, a cultural icon… gone. Survivors fanning out all across the American South. If they had made a movie about it, people would've happily bought their tickets, munched their popcorn while staring at the screen in fascination, but never really believed such a think could happen here.
Take a minute and imagine your city (or the nearest large city, if you're in a small town) gone. Can you wrap your brain around it? It doesn't seem real, does it? Just a sick fantasy, a twisted mental exercise. But it did happen. It's real and it's serious.
2. Economics. How much time has any of us spent researching or even just pondering the economic significance of our offshore oil facilities, the Port of New Orleans, the nearby ports that handle petroleum shipments and the entire traffic of goods up and down the Mississippi River? We didn't simply lose the birthplace of jazz and the home of the most raucous Mardis Gras party in North America, we took an economic hit whose effects will ripple through our economy for months, if not years.
Will the places that have taken all the evacuees be able to hold up under the economic strain? That remains to be seen. Houston has grown by over 100,000 people in less than a week. Think about that for a minute. Can your city or town absorb that many people into its economy on such short notice? Can Houston's?
At least 25,000 of the people now in Houston were poor even before Katrina struck. Of the other 75,000 or more, most were middle class but now their jobs are gone. Can we find work for that many people? Can we give food and aid to so many for the months it will take for them to get on their feet, either here, in their former home or in some other city? It remains to be seen. In the short term, it is staggering to witness the generosity of Houston and other areas that have absorbed New Orleans' metropolitan population of 1.3 million, as well as thousands of former residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We are indeed a rich nation that we can give so much, so quickly, with so little pain. But what will the long term hold for the people who lost everything and for the people who are trying to help them rebuild?
3. Generosity. I have never seen such an outpouring of generosity among my fellow citizens. Everywhere I look people are giving time, money, food and clothing to the victims of this disaster. As early as Wednesday, we had two people in my building collecting for area shelters. By the end of the week you could donate at nearly every grocery store, school, office, pet supply store and professional sporting event. There were volunteer opportunities in almost every corner of the Houston metropolitan area. And if you couldn't donate your time, there were dropoff points for goods-- just pull up, unload and be on your way. By the weekend, lemonade stands had sprung up around the city as even the children tried to do their part to raise funds for the needy.
People can say what they will about Texans in general and Houstonians in particular, but let no one ever say we aren't quick to open our hearts and wallets to those in need.
4. Lessons Learned. This is the most important bit.
Everyone lives in danger of some sort of natural or man-made disaster occurring in their area. When was the last time you looked around and asked yourself if you're prepared?
If you had to evacuate, do you know where you would go, what you would take, how you would get there? And if for some reason your first plan wasn't feasible, do you have another plan?
And what have you done to supply yourself, if sheltering in place is your best plan?
FEMA says you need to have on hand at least 72 hours worth of food, water, medications and other essentials, because 72 hours is the earliest they can get to you after disaster strikes. Katrina has shown us that 72 hours may overly optimistic.
If that doesn't give you some serious food for thought, you haven't been paying attention to the news this week.
If money is tight, it can seem daunting to stock up on supplies to last a week or more. But it's not as hard as it seems. Just drop a few extra things in your shopping cart each week and you'll be surprised at how quickly your little stash builds. Buy batteries. Hand sanitizer. Baby wipes so you can take sponge baths. Toilet paper. Canned goods. Crackers. Clif Bars. Vitamins. Buy one of those pitchers that filters and purifies water. Then get online or go to a camping equipment store and buy water purification tablets. If you're in the south, buy mosquito netting and a battery-operated fan. If you're in the north, you may want a few extra blankets. Buy slowly and methodically and in a year you'll be pleasantly surprised at how prepared you are. Don't wait until disaster is immenent and the stores are empty!
Never let anyone try to tell you you're some kind of survivalist kook just because you want to be able to care for yourself and your loved ones if something goes horribly wrong. Sometimes the very best thing you can do for victims of a crisis is not be among the needy. So buy an extra can of soup when you're at the store tomorrow. And when you go next week, buy another.
Don't rely one anyone but yourself to save you and your loved ones.
Remember New Orleans.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
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