...Father's Day

Lately, I have had some really cool settings for my workouts.  Here are a few of the pictures I have taken.

These were taken along the Town Lake Trail in Austin, TX.

I took these on a day when I had a bad run and took a minute to take a deep breath and look around.  It kind of changed my attitude that day.

Then another day, after a GREAT swim in a new pool, I snapped this.  It was a swimmer's paradise!!  How often can you enjoy an outdoor long course pool with five lanes and only one other swimmer!

Most recently, I have been training in Waco, TX.  I wasn't sure if there was any nice place to train until I discovered Cameron Park.  At the entrance, it looked like a nice, pleasant park trail.  

As I went deeper into it, it turned out to be a fantastic, challenging hike/mountain bike trail which was a blast to run on!  I did not, however, handle that trail like a sure footed... anything.  Ten minutes into the run, I caught a toe on a rock and went sprawling on my face.  I got up, dusted myself off, and headed on down the trail.  Aside from getting some knowing smiles from other runners ("Since you are clearly going to slow to be evading an assailant, you must just be clumsy!"), I was really no worse for wear!  

On another note, this weekend was Father's Day.  I have no pictures of my father as they were destroyed in the water/mold incident.  My father was, among other things, a runner.  He ran Western States in 1981. He told me about triathlon when I was a little kid, and triathlon wasn't much older than I was.  I never imagined it would become the love of my life.  He gave me many gifts, that is one.  He succumbed to cancer 21 years ago.  He chose the music to be played at his funeral.  He chose this.

 

Happy Father's Day, Dad.  I miss you as much today as I ever have.

A Run, A Walk, And A Smartphone Goes Swimming

Today I added some length and speed work to my run, with DW's blessing, and had what turned out to be a challenging workout.  The last couple of weeks have been more bike focused and the swim training has stayed pretty steady, so the run was backed off.  I had been on the bike since Sunday and frankly, it wasn't my legs that needed a break.  I decided to switch the run to today, build it up to a harder workout and do the bike/swim tomorrow.  I have to work tomorrow night but it is easier for me to work after a bike and/or swim than a run.  ALSO, it let me dial up the run without risking a flare up in my foot, not to mention reducing the potential for saddle sores.  WinWInWin!!

The run was a 5 mile conversational run.  I added some speed work at five miles and took the whole thing out to seven.  I was hoping to make it to ten which is where I was with speed work just a few weeks ago.  It is truly amazing how not doing the mileage for a couple of weeks can impact my ability to do it at all.  Same with the speed work… it was like I forgot how.  I got to mile 6 after a few little pickups and suddenly I was experiencing something that prior to this I had only read about.  My gut shut down.  I had water and a gel in there and it was not interested.  I felt hypoglycemic but also had an uncomfortable sense of water in my stomach.  Compared to some of my runs, I really hadn't even taken that much water or nutrition but there it was… not going anywhere.

3..2..1… CRAMP.  I nearly doubled over.  I really wished it would just come back up because I knew it would ease the discomfort.  I broke to a walk, and walked slowly for a little while in the shade.  Finally, eventually, with a mighty gurgle and a few good burps, things got moving again.  I gave it a few and slowly began jogging again.  I was able to pick it up a little and turn in another decent mile before I really started to fade.  At that point, I was of the opinion that I had exceeded the assignment by enough and there was little to be gained by going on at a snails pace.  I had accomplished all of my goals today, save one and that one got replaced by pulling it together and getting back in motion after a significant GI issue.  I then walked the FOUR miles back to the car.  It was 100 degrees according to a friends thermometer.

You know, the Town Lake Trail is beautiful when you are not so focused.  I took a couple of great pics and can't post them since I have since dropped my phone in the dogs water bucket.  Ummm… yeah.  Water may roll off a duck's back but it does not roll off her brand new smartphone!

A Duck In Winter

After a couple of rough nights at work, the result of careless nutrition and sketchy sleep patterns, I slept well today.  The RV park decided to repave the road under my window while I was sleeping today.  I woke up to the noise long enough to think "Oh great!  Now I'll never get back to slee..... ZzzzZzzzzZzzz."  Isn't exhaustion a beautiful thing?

I also need to mention that while my life has been a little intense with the start of the horse show, the camper gremlins have been mercifully quiet (and yes, I just knocked on wood!).  So far, life in a vintage Airstream has proven, well, nice.  There is certainly a lot of though that needs to be given to placement and storage, as well as discipline when it comes to tidying the work/living space often.  But as with nutrition awareness, that mindfulness is a skill I need to cultivate anyhow.  I see this lifestyle as good for me.  On the upside, 200+ square feet is easy to clean if you do let it get dirty.

There is another airstream that has all kinds of plastic flamingos two spaces down from me.  They even have black skeleton flamingos.  Kinda weird, but I definitely feel like the Tri Cave is not keeping up the standards right now.  I wonder if I can get swim-bike-run flamingos?  I also wonder if they have bicycle light strands.  All the cool campers have light strands.  Ooof, seems complicated.  Maybe I'll just settle for a potted plant.

Florida: A1A at sunset taken from the bike

Anyhow, after pondering how I could rearrange my schedule so that I did not have to ride indoors on the trainer, I realized that even though it's 78 degrees outside, it IS January.  Being in the tropics doesn't change the fact that daylight hours are scarce and sometimes you just have to SUCK IT UP!!  I haven't been on the trainer (except the computrainer at the Doghouse) since I got to Florida.  I also realized that while I was feeling sorry for myself because my 3rd shift hours mean that I sleep away these beautiful days, every office worker in the world is no better off.  They spend the time indoors.

Biking in Michigan in July 

Trail running in NC in January

Broad River: taken on a trail run in January

I guess I have very little to complain about, since my job allows me the flexibility to often adapt my work schedule to accommodate the things I want to do and takes me to the most beautiful places in the country.  I get nice weather year round and a variety of training conditions to work with.  Not exactly suffering.  A little gratitude, as well as a little fortitude (get thee on thy bicycle) might be just what this duck needs.

I still miss home, though!!

Austin's skyline and Town Lake Trail