My New Compression Tights

Readers of this blog know that I'm pretty "old school" when it comes to running.  No GPS, no HRM, no CIA, no, wait, what?  Anyway, it may surprise you that I know own compression tights.  New Balance Windblocker tights, to be exact.  Surprised me too.  And it's a convoluted story of how I got them.  In essence, I wanted to register for the Securian Half Marathon in person at Run 'n' Fun.  By registering in person, you get 25% off any purchase made in-store.  A pretty sweet deal.  I was in the market for new pants and/or tights that were better suited for winter.  So, after trying on more things than I care to recall, I ended up with these compression tights.  They were the only things that fit my criteria and were available in my size.  So here we are.

I'm skeptical of all the compression fanatics out there.  Some of the theory behind compression gear makes a little sense, but if it were that big of a deal, runners would have been squeezing their muscles long ago.  It actually seems rather silly that the mere act of squeezing muscles will cause us to set new PRs.  Long story short, if you want to run faster, put the investment into running more miles and crafting a better training plan.

Yet, here I am, with a pair of compression tights.

I tested them out today, and they behaved like I expected.  Like tights.  The windblocking fabric kept me comfortable, and my legs propelled me forward.  I didn't notice any extra benefits from the compression.  I didn't run 4 minute miles.  I didn't leap over buildings in a single bound.  I stayed warm, and I ran.

The awkward part about these tights is New Balance's approach to runner safety.  Concerned that runners may not have a RoadID (which is must-have for all runners), they put a "tape" in the pocket on which you can write emergency information.  In reality, this "tape" looks more like a pull-tab just above my butt.  Here is the placement:

No, pulling it will not make me say "Somebody's poisoned the water hole!"

Tesfa 5k: 1st Place Male

The Tesfa 5k is one of my favorite races because (a) it's at Fort Snelling State Park, and (b) it's small.  Well, today, it was really small.  When Katie and I arrived, there were only a few others there:

2 deer (of about 6) in this photo.  The second one is to the left of the silver car.

Yeah, there were deer.  Just deer.  No people.  Katie and I wondered if they had moved the starting line to someplace else in the park, so we went to the front office and asked.  The lady there said "they cancelled that race a long time ago."  Nevermind, of course, that it's still listed on Tesfa.org and Active.com.

Bummer.

Since we were both still in running clothes, we said "why not run it anyway?"  So we did.  And, since the competition was pretty weak, we took it easy.

Katie was the first place female.

I was the first place male.

Our time?  31'09"

Official Photos from the Twin Cities Marathon

It's no secret that good race photos of me are hard to come by.  Exhibit A from the Red, White and Boom! Half Marathon:

Yup, that's me having a seizure while crossing the line

So, imagine my surprise when I check out the official photos from the Twin Cities Marathon, and most of them are actually pretty good.

Not a great shot of me, but I remember the guy in front of me.  He kept spitting, and it kept getting blown into me.  I eventually made a decisive pass to end this situation.

I like this one, and I look surprisingly good being about 0.2 miles from the finish.

I'm hurting a bit more here (maybe near Lake Street?), but still strong.

Exciting finishing photo

Ok, here's where things get crazy.  Here is this awesome photo of me giving a fist pump into the air crossing the finish line.  I love this photo so much that it's my Facebook profile photo.

And…moments later, here I am regretting that fist pump/jump in the air.  No really, that's the face of serious PAIN.

And just to prove that I can still take awful photos while displaying that yes, I am in Minnesota and thus super-pale.

7 Days to Go: A Short(s) Problem

With the marathon now only 1 week away, I'll be posting each day as part of my marathon countdown.  Today's topic is choosing my attire for the race.  Barring any crazy weather (rain, snow, etc.), I've got most of my running outfit set:

Singlet, sunglasses, Adrenalines, and socks

Clearly, there is something missing from that photograph—shorts!  I'm vacillating between two pairs:

On the left are my trusty gray, Target brand shorts that I do most of my training in.  On the right are my red racing shorts.  I had originally planned on wearing the gray shorts, but now I really can't decide.  So, yes, I'm involving you in my decision about what shorts to wear.

Gray Shorts

Pros

• Trained in them, so I know I won't have any issues on a long run (say, 26.2 miles).
• They're a bit more substantial, and since I'll be pinning 4 or 5 Gu packets to them, I'm sure they can handle it.

Cons

• They're boring.
• Katie sometimes has issues spotting me in the marathon crowd, so a blue shirt and gray shorts don't exactly make me stand out.

Red Shorts

Pros

• They're visible, so Katie will be happy.
• They're my racing shorts, so I'll just feel faster.

Cons

• Haven't used them for a distance longer than a Pikermi, so I can't be sure there won't be any long distance issues.
• I don't know that they can support 5 Gu packets.

So, clearly this is a dilemma between the practical and the sentimental.  I know the red shorts won't make me any faster, but wearing the short, racing shorts puts me in the racing mindset.  It helps me transition from training to racing, and the biggest hurdle of the marathon is the mental one.

I don't have too many worries about chafing and whatnot because I'll most likely have a pair of compression shorts on underneath whichever pair of shorts I choose.  Still, new things on race day make me nervous.

What ends up being the greatest mental advantage?  Is it knowing that you have everything planned out perfectly, and that there won't be surprises?  Or is it having that mental boost from a seemingly silly thing like red shorts?

A Funeral For Summer—Flash Run!

Yes friends, today is the day.  Autumn starts today.  In Minnesota, that can only mean one thing—snow.  Yes, snow.  It will come soon.  Runners everywhere are weeping.  Oh sure, autumn looks nice with it's colorful leaves and cooler temperatures, but that's just a facade for the impending doom that is icy sidewalks, frostbite, and frozen facial hair.

This summer was a toasty one, but I'm not ready to let it go.  There are others, apparently, that are not happy with the end of summer.  So we gathered.  In black.  To mourn.  And run.

The good people at Twin Cities in Motion (TCIM) are creating a new phenomenon known as a "Flash Run".  What is a flash run?  Well, it's like a flash mob*, but where one runs instead of…mobs?

*A flash mob is a spontaneous gathering of people who do something silly, then depart as if nothing happened, all organized by word-of-mouth (Facebook and the Twitter).  An example would be people showing up at a coffee shop, singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" once at a specified time, then leaving.


On Monday, TCIM posted this on their Facebook page:

Flash Run Clue 1: It's the last day of summer tomorrow! Find a black shirt & begin to prepare for the mourning (and running) to follow.

Ok, not a problem, I've got plenty of black shirts.  Wait—it's supposed to be how warm on September 21?  70 degrees?  Uh oh, all my black running shirts are meant for winter temps.  I'll need to get creative with this one.

Later in the day, we got the next clue:

Flash Run Clue 2: We have such great summer memories around Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. Mourners, plan to meet at the Bandshell.

On the other side of town, but maybe I can swing that.

The final clue was yesterday morning:

Flash Run Clue 3: Let's bid the summer season adieu by chasing the sun. Be there at 7pm.

Not the most convenient time (have you ever tried driving down Hennepin Ave during rush hour?  Don't.), but I'm going to do my darndest to make it.

Well, I showed up and there were 300 3 other people.  Not huge, but it's quality, not quantity, right?  Hannah, who is in charge of all communications at TCIM and thus organized this, was there, along with her mom, and a guy named Tony.

What was cool was that there was a cameraman there from KARE11, so we were going to be on TV!  We conned recruited some unsuspecting bystanders who happened to be wearing black to increase our numbers, and they filmed us doing a bit of running.  I don't have a fancy Tivo or even a VCR, so what you see here is me filming the clips with my digital camera while sitting in front of my TV.  (Note: there are 2 separate clips here—the first was a "promo" clip, and the second is the actual clip/lead-in to the weather report).

First up, I have to say that I'm NOT as narcissistic as my shirt may portray me as.  If you look closely, there are 2 huge periods between the M and the E.  So, in reality, my shirt says: "It's All About M.E."  This was the only short-sleeve black shirt that I had, and it's in reference to Mechanical Engineering.

Another cool thing is that two of the people we recruited had a dog, so even a dog is upset that summer is gone.

After the video shoot, 3 of us left for a run around Lake Harriet.  I run by myself so much that I had forgotten how enjoyable it was to run in a group.  We had a nice pace going and talked about things running and marathoning.  

Hannah left for home after one loop of the lake, and Tony headed off partway through a second loop.  So, I ended up doing 2 loops of Lake Harriet to get my 6ish miles in.  It got dark really fast, so it was very tough to see.  It didn't help that I was dressed as a ninja runner, and that the car headlights going the opposite direction kept me pretty much blind.

So, moral of the story—FLASH RUNS ARE COOL.  Seriously, pay attention to TCIM's Facebook page and come join the next flash run.  Cool things could happen—like being on the evening news.

I Should Get An Emmy For This

In my continuing coverage of the St. Croix Valley International Distance Triathlon, you're in for a treat with this post.  I thought it would be cool to take a video of Katie as she came up from the swim exit, then post it to Facebook so that all her adoring fans could get a live update of her progress.  Well, I failed on the "upload to Facebook" post because my phone will upload photos to Facebook, but not videos.  Strange.

Minor technical difficulties aside, readers of this blog will be treated to the world premiere of the video.  Feast your eyes on this gem, and I suggest watching it using the play-by-play I provide below the video.

0:00 − 0:07  With the fantastic lighting, here is Katie running up from the beach.  You even get to see her turn around to look for her wallet.

0:08 − 0:12  Instead of me doing the expected thing of hitting the "stop recording" button, we've started looking down at my sweatshirt and the sand below my feet as I begin to run up to watch Katie in transition.

0:12 − 0:20  Here's a close-up of my hand.  I'd say my skin is in pretty good shape, but I should probably moisturize.

0:20 − 0:30  Now, you're taking a journey inside the pocket of my "Bi-Peninsular and Proud" hoodie.  Get your own at Michigan Awesome and show off your Great Lakes State pride.

0:30 − 0:45  I've added some cool visual effects here.  There is a fence surrounding the transition area, and you can see its silhouette from the sun shining through it.

0:45 − 0:53  I then tell Katie's dad that I would head up to where the bike course starts, and then I start moving in that direction.

0:53 − 0:59  Oh wait, this thing is still recording?  Well, here are my fingers again.  Sadly, I end the video here.

If you need someone to videotape your special event, I do birthday parties, weddings, Polka shows, bar mitzvahs, and liturgical dances.  I expect to be fed (buffets are a good choice), and I don't work with animals.

I can already envision my speech.  "I'd like to thank the Academy…"

An Accidental Parade

I was in a parade this weekend.  It wasn't intentional.  But, you'll have to read on to get the details…


On Saturday, Katie and I ventured out to Hudson, Wisconsin.  Katie is doing the St. Croix Valley triathlon in 2 weeks, so she wanted to swim in the river a bit, then ride the bike course.  I offered to swim with her, and while she rode the bike course, I would get my 12 mile run in.

As we arrived at the park, we realized that we were at exchange #22 of the RAGNAR Relay*.  It seemed like the thing to do was to do the relay exchange, then walk down to the beach and look at the river.  We were actually going to swim in the river though.

The river was cold—surprisingly so since Katie said it was warm when she did Croixathlon in June just a mile downriver.  It was a good thing we had wetsuits, but we did warm up once we swam a bit.  The best way to describe the quality of the river is that it's like Root Beer, but without the fizz.

Katie swimming in the river.


Me swimming in the river.

I only did a little bit of swimming, and Katie did a bit more.  We decided to take a photo when we were done swimming:

Katie has a knack for getting unflattering photos of me.  Here are some examples from earlier events:

Swimming at Cleary Lake: "I can't hear you!"


Angry face while moving downward at the Red, White, and Boom!


Putting my wetsuit on at my first open water swim.

None of these compare to the one she got of me this weekend:

Yup, I look awful here.  Closed eyes and squinty face.

And, because that picture wasn't bad enough, she took one of me getting my wetsuit off:

Thanks Katie.

We changed out of our swimming gear, then got ready for the next activities:

I look like a dork cool person with my water belt.

Katie took off on the bike course.  I decided I would just run north on the main road through town for 6 miles, turn around, then come back.  (I don't use a GPS or anything, so I mapped it out beforehand and knew I had to turn around at a cemetery along the highway).  As I started running, I realized that I would be running along the RAGNAR course.  In some ways, this was cool—if I died along the course, I'm sure the RAGNAR people would have called the morgue or something.  But, it was also not cool because I was a little embarrassed when the water stop volunteers started cheering for me.  I told them I was just out for my morning run, and since they were just nice people, they still offered me water.

Heading up the road, I went through the town of North Hudson.  It looked like they were setting up for some street festival or something, and it was a little challenging to dodge the people.  I hoped this wouldn't be a problem on the way back...

When I got to the next RAGNAR exchange point, one girl (probably 14-15 years old), was excited to ask me how the run was.  I told her I wasn't in the relay, and she responded with a "Really??  Aw man…"  (Later, on my way back, this same girl would tell me with a smile to "have a great run!", so she was actually a really nice person.)

I reached the turnaround (it was a little early because I mistook a family graveyard for the cemetery I was supposed to turn around at, but alas…).  When I got back to North Hudson, a parade was in full swing.  Not just any parade, though.  It was the

North Hudson Pepper Festival Parade!!


Oh boy.  I successfully weaved through the millions thousands hundreds lining the sidewalks.  All was going well, and I though I was near the end of the parade, and all of a sudden…

I was IN the parade.


The parade route turned, and I ended up right in the middle of the parade.  I just wanted to cross the street, but the curb was lined with people, and there just wasn't a gap.  So, I ran in the parade for about 50 meters until I could find some lawn chairs to squeeze in-between.  At this point, I ended up in someone's backyard, and quickly got out of there to find my way back to the road.  Let's just say that I'm going to avoid the Pepper Festival in the future…

*The RAGNAR Relay is a 193 mile relay race from Winona, MN to Minneapolis.  Teams of 12 complete the legs over a period of about 2 days.  It looks like a blast, and I may consider doing it next year.

Celebrating 100 Posts

According to Blogger, this post will be the 100th on my blog.  It's been a little while since my first post, in which I wrote mainly a training log entry about an easy 20 minute run.  My, how things have changed.

Well, in order to celebrate the Big 100, here is 100 things you probably won't read facts about yours truly:

1. My original due date was the 4th of July, but I was born 2 weeks early.
2. I won a "Most Beautiful Baby" contest at KMart.  I think I got a $20 savings bond for the win.
3. I don't eat oatmeal because it already looks digested.
4. Similar reasoning as #3 as to why I won't eat cream of wheat, farina, or grits.
5. I hate coconut more than oatmeal.
6. I got a real coconut from a tree in Florida, then opened it to see and drink the milk inside.
7. I spilled the coconut milk on my way to show it to my Grandma.
8. One of my biggest pet peeves is nervous tapping/shaking/rocking and the like.
9. My first dog was a Doberman named Ernie.
10. He had a brother named Bert.
11. I like things to be straight and even.
12. Not coincidentally, my favorite television show is Monk.
13. I'm the type of person who will straighten pictures and stacks of magazines in places other than my own home.
14. I can accept that my ears are uneven so long as I don't look in the mirror for too long.
15. More often than not, I communicate with Katie using words like "Whatzit", "Doodad", and "Thingamabob".
16. Katie and I rarely have trouble communicating.
17. I'd rather have all 4 windows down in the car than having the A/C on.
18. When I spent a summer in Georgia with a car that had broken A/C, I wished my car had more than 2 windows that could open.
19. I'm left-handed and proud of it.
20. I golf right handed because those were the clubs I learned on.
21. I used to consider myself a far-right-wing Republican, and supported Pat Buchanan in the 1996 presidential primaries.
22. Yes, I cared about national politics as a 10 year old.
23. I eventually grew up, and realized that being a moderate is much better than being to either extreme politically.
24. I still hold a grudge against Nike for not making a version of their Triax running watch for lefties (such that it would go on the right wrist).
25. I did track in 5th grade, and my event was the shotput.
26. I didn't have a long career in shotput.
27. I think the true measure of a friend is whether they are willing to stand up for you when it brings bad things for them.
28. I wanted to be a car designer when I grew up.
29. In high school, I accepted the fact that I wasn't an artist, and decided to become an engineer.
30. I played a British womanizer who wore a cape in a dinner theater my sophomore year of high school.
31. If the "alcohol" I drank during that dinner theater wasn't actually sparkling grape juice, I probably would have died of alcohol poisoning.
32. Half of one of my front teeth is fake because someone pushed me from behind in gym class in 7th grade and my tooth broke my fall.
33. My fall also broke my arm.
34. When I was a kid, I was usually the last person awake on Christmas morning, and sometimes my parents would have to wake me up so that it was still morning.
35. My normal wake-up time is now 5:30am, and my body won't let me sleep later than 6am.
36. I believe that if you're on time, you're late, and being 5 minutes early is on time.
37. Another pet peeve of mine is when, after I made sacrifices such that I could arrive to a meeting on time, the other person is late.  I'll be gracious about it and say it's no big deal, but it really does bother me.
38. I hate buying bottles of water because I just can't help but think of all the waste they cause.
39. Ever since Mrs. Hanyok bought us Nalgenes in Colorado, I'm rarely without polycarb water bottle somewhere close by.
40. Canada was due south from where I grew up.
41. I think there is no better state than Michigan, even if it's had a tough decade.
42. I may say that Ohio is one level above Hell, but it can't be that bad of a place if it gave us Katie.
43. My preferred method of eating muffins is with a spoon.
44. I also eat cake with a spoon.  It creates a nice well of frosting as a treat for later.
45. I generally don't use vulgar language—mainly because I think the English language is a rich and vast language, and to resort to using the same words all the time to express anger is just boring.
46. I'm pretty sure that I have iced tea in my veins instead of blood.
47. I judge a restaurant based on the quality of their iced tea.
48. I'm very good at talking myself out of buying things.
49. I learned to drive a stick when I worked for a summer at a car dealership.  I haven't driven one since.
50. In college, I gave blood regularly (every 56 days).  Since then, I haven't been so good.
51. Epcot is my favorite Disney park--mainly because of the Test Track ride.
52. The Waffle House at I-4 and US-27 is one of my favorite restaurants.
53. I used to be scared of roller coasters.
54. I've now ridden all the big coasters at Cedar Point--with the exception of the Dragster.
55. I played Euchre with my best friends from high school every day at lunch during junior and senior years.
56. I'm offended if no one does the "milk the cow" at the end of a Euchre game.
57. I hate having to wear glasses or contacts, but don't think I would get laser eye surgery.
58. I came dead last in a number of cross country races my first year on the team.
59. My first time coming in second-to-last was one of the best running experiences I've ever had.
60. I would have qualified for the state cross-country meet had I been more willing to run through mud puddles.
61. I always double-knot my shoes.
62. Every time I race, I still say "Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, let's go Eagles, it's cross country time!" to myself.
63. I move the mouse to the left side of the keyboard when I use a public computer.
64. I don't feel the least bit guilty for not putting it back.
65. I successfully completed "Book-It", and got the free personal pan pizza coupon from Pizza Hut every month.
66. Most of the coupons came during the time in my life when I wouldn't eat pizza.
67. When the school supplies list would come out each year in grade school, I couldn't wait until I got to 8th grade because it required an X-acto knife.
68. When I got the X-acto knife, it wasn't nearly exciting as I had hoped.
69. I enjoyed the Belgian waffles at Berg, but preferred Jester's brunch because it was less crowded and they had whole milk.
70. I think that any milk less than whole is just cloudy water.
71. I have an impeccable sense of direction.
72. I made my first friend at Valpo during orientation because we both brought our graphing calculators for the placement exams.
73. I wouldn't have joined Christ College if Dean Franson didn't notice me turning in my forms during FOCUS and persuade me to reconsider.
74. One of the most exciting things for me as a kid was when my dad would take me to the car lot to look at all the cars.  Not to buy--just to look.
75. I get semi-emotional when I or my family gets rid of a car.
76. I don't like getting messy while eating, but have no problem getting dirty while gardening or doing other household chores.
77. I get the burrito bowl at Chipotle because of #76.
78. I wrote 90% of my undergraduate honor's thesis at the Valpo Panera.  I spent 3-4 hours there every evening for 3 weeks.
79. My grandma was my best friend growing up, and I spent every morning at her house when I wasn't at school until my mom got home from work.
80. I loved going "bumming" (aka, garage sales) with my grandma because that meant there was a chance we'd go to Sveden House for lunch.
81. When I first started eating pierogis, I ate half of one.
82. Now, I can down 15-20 pierogis without much effort.
83. I hated having a last name that started with "M" because when we switched the order we lined up in to go to lunch in grade school, Z-A was no better than A-Z.
84. I'm proud that I can parallel park very skillfully.
85. After reading Michael Pollan's books, I find myself regularly checking labels in the grocery store.
86. I shopped at a Publix 20 minutes from my apartment in Georgia instead of the Kroger 3 minutes away for the sole reason that Publix carried Vernors.
87. I haven't been to a Wal-mart in over 2 years.
88. I was eating solid food within 6 hours of getting my wisdom teeth removed. 
89. I once "modeled" an orange knit hat at a community center where our NHS chapter was serving Christmas dinner to senior citizens.
90. At one point I was getting 8 car magazines per month.
91. Now, I only subscribe to Automobile because Ezra Dyer's columns and features are a hoot.
92. I have neither given or received, nor have I tolerated others' use of unauthorized aid.
93. I prefer the window seat on an airplane.
94. My favorite thing to get from the ice cream truck was the chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich.
95. I put 2 spaces between sentences while typing.
96. Top Gear is my second favorite TV show, and James "Captain Slow" May is my favorite presenter.
97. I enjoy wearing sweater vests.
98. Advent is my favorite liturgical season.
99. I spent 1 year as a polliwog, two years as a guppy, and never made it to minnow in the YMCA swim classes I took as a kid.
100. I was born and raised in Detroit.  Not a suburb of Detroit.  Detroit proper.

One Year Gu-iversary

On Saturday, I had my first 20 mile training run of this marathon season.  I'll be doing 2 more, so finishing 1 isn't a whole lot to get excited about.  BUT, I did enjoy the run, and based on a suggestion from Katie, my route was new and very exciting.  Here's a map of where I went:

It was a fairly simple route that had me head west to the Greenway, then hop on the marathon course once I got to Lake Calhoun.  I then went down the west side of Calhoun, the east side of Harriet, then I hopped on Minnehaha Parkway.  I skipped the loop around Lake Nokomis, then went north up the river until I got to Marshall, then went back home.  It ended up being about 20.2 miles.

What made this run very manageable, though, is that it was divided up into an 8 mile run followed by a 12 mile run.  The people at Twin Cities in Motion (aka, The Marathon People) set up a tent at Lake Calhoun (8 miles into my run) where they had free water, Powerade, and Gu from 7am to 10am.  It's tough to fit more than 2 Gu packets in my fuel belt, so this was a very welcome thing.  I arrived at Calhoun just after 7am (yes, I left early), and ran into Hannah, who I had only known "from the internet" (through blogging and Dailymile).  We chatted about upcoming races and training, and then I grabbed a Tri-Berry Gu from the available options.

I ripped the top off the Gu, downed it quickly, grabbed some water, chatted some more, then I was off running again.  Only now do I realize how strange that was, mainly because it was one day shy of being one year since I had my first Gu—and that was at a Twin Cities in Motion water stop too.  In fact, I even wrote about it:

I have also concluded that energy gels are weird. The texture is rather unexpected, and the taste isn't that great. The flavors they had were chocolate, espresso, strawberry banana, and vanilla bean. Vanilla bean looked like the least objectionable, so that's what I tried. I picked up some other flavors from the store today, so I can see if any of them turn out to be better. All in all, I did notice a boost in my energy, even if it was short-lived.

From what I remember about the day I first tried Gu, I pondered all the flavors they had for a good 5 minutes.  After selecting vanilla bean, I read the directions, looked at the nutrition facts, and tried to figure out what other people were doing with their Gu.  I massaged the packet for a while (it's supposed to make it easier to eat consume), then I ripped the top off.  I cautiously started to drink consume the Gu, gagged a bit, and drank a lot of water to wash it down.  All told, it took me 10-15 minutes to eat one Gu.

This Saturday, I nonchalantly grabbed a Gu, then I ate drank consumed it quickly and was off.  My, how far I have come.  Instead of hesitating over food a substance that may be its own state of matter, I just accept it.

Happy one year Gu-iversary to me!

Getting Prepared for the Race

This whole experiment of trying a triathlon is about to come to an end.  The race is Saturday, and I don't have any more workouts planned until then.  This past week has been about preparing for the race, and it started back on Saturday with a trip down to Cleary Lake.  Katie, Ariel, David, and I met down there with the intent of swimming the swim course and biking the bike course.  (David isn't doing the triathlon, but he joined us for a number of workouts and he's coming to be a spectator on Saturday).

Here we are before swimming:

Ok, well, David is a little tall.  Let's try that again:

Doh!  Now I've cut off his chin.  Here's my solution:

A little photo editing, and voila! 100% of everybody's faces are in the picture…more or less… (Sorry David)

We started with the swimming.  A problem we encountered (like the last time we were there) was the "beach curtain".  It's a floating curtain that separates the swimming area from the rest of the lake.  You can't swim under it either because it goes to the lakebed.  We weren't going to let it stop us though, and after some less than graceful flops (David and Ariel chose the see-saw method and I did the horse mount method—I don't remember what Katie did*) we made it into the lake.

*It's not that I didn't pay attention to Katie, it's just that her focus was not on the flops as much as it was on the weeds.


Speaking of weeds…Cleary Lake is full of them!  Katie wasn't happy with this.  At one point, I hit a patch of weeds so thick that it just stopped me in my tracks.  It just wasn't possible to swim through that patch of weeds, so we had to go around.  We ended up swimming most of the course (the buoys weren't out, so we guessed on how far to swim).

We then did a bit of transition practice, and there I realized that I'm not so efficient with the transitions.  I dropped my swim cap and goggles, my wetsuit got stuck a bit, and I didn't double-tie my shoes.  This is something I needed to practice more (ominous foreshadowing…).

Then we hopped on our bikes to ride the course.  I borrowed Katie's slicks and put them on my bike, an WOW, what a difference!  I can really notice a big difference in the amount of rolling resistance.

The ride itself was mostly uneventful (Ariel warned us of some roadkill, but it turned out to be a banana).  David even had a chance to take a photo (I'm stealing your photo for this blog, David).

David taking the photo—just in case you couldn't tell.  Ariel is very visible.

Truthfully, I had no idea David was taking photos.  I didn't know he did that until I was tagged in this on Facebook.  I think I was concerned with the rumble strips more than anything else.

Well, that was all fine and dandy.  We had fun, and I even had the adventure of trying to go to the bathroom in my tri suit.  Since it's a one piece suit, it's pretty much impossible to go to the bathroom while wearing it.  But, I still love the tri suit, and it's worked great so far.

Remember the ominous foreshadowing?  It's true—I needed to practice transitions, and I did just that.  Well, kinda.  I did a brick workout on Wednesday with a 25 minute bike ride followed by a run.  I could practice T2 pretty easily, and I was quick at it.  If the actual transition in the race includes opening and closing a garage door, I'm all set.

T1 is where I had my problems.  Wednesday night I decided I would look ridiculous in front of my neighbors practice T1 a few times out in the parking lot.  I suited up in my tri suit and wetsuit and went out to my garage.  There I set up a little transition spot:

Yes, that's a folding chair.  No, I don't plan on bringing it to the race—it was so I could put my wetsuit on.

I don't have a lake at my apartment complex.  So, I'll admit that someone wearing a wetsuit, swim cap, and goggles may look a bit out of place in the parking lot:

Here was my thinking: it's tough to take a wetsuit off when it's dry, but tough to put it on while wet.  If I could successfully take it off while dry, then I should have no trouble in the race when I'm wet.  And, since I was dry, I could practice this a few times.  It didn't work out that way, though.  I made a bit of a video to show you why:

Yup, it started raining.  So, I got wet enough where I couldn't get the suit back on, but it wasn't wet enough to help me in getting it off.  So, I fumbled through one T1 practice, and called it a night.  I'm hoping I'll have better luck on Saturday.

I'll post tomorrow with my thoughts on race strategy.

A New Gu Storage Place

They say that all you need for running is a good pair of shoes.  Well, that's true.  But, when you train for a marathon, you have all kinds of other stuff—Gu, fuel belts, a gazillion water bottles, etc.  I haven't really had a place for my Gu in my apartment, so it's been living in my grill wok.  When we use the grill wok, the Gu moves to the table.  Then repeat this process every time we use the grill wok.

But, I have a new solution!  Behold:

Gu and salt packets.  (Yes, I really need to restock my Gu)

The coolest part, though, is what is on the outside of the box:

Yes, it is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunchbox.  Coolest.  Lunchbox.  Ever.

In truth, I don't think I ever used this as a lunchbox.  For a long time, I stored some modular toy cars in this at my Grandma's house.  Those cars, though, have found a new and much better location—on display in my living room:

A Tough Saturday Morning Workout in Fitting Rooms

Yesterday, I did a 45 minute fartlek with lots of hills, and Katie did a 38 minute run with lots of hills.  But those were easy.  Well, compared to what we did later that morning they were pretty easy.  With the upcoming summer sports season, Katie and I decided it was a good day to get wetsuits.  Since Katie is becoming a more serious triathlete, it was time for her to get one, and since I'm starting into this whole sport of triathlon, it's something that will help my swimming and keep me warm during some early season open water swims.

We headed over to Gear West.  It's always a bit of a drive to Gear West, but they're a top-notch shop and worth the drive.  We were helped by 2 guys (I think Curt and Devon were their names) who really know their stuff.  And it was a good thing they did because Katie and I were noobs to the whole process!  I started out with a sleeveless Blue Seventy suit.  It fit ok, but I was looking more for full suit.  I'll also say this: putting on and taking off a wetsuit is no small task!  This was exemplified by my next suit.  It was a full Blue Seventy suit on sale, but I was toward the upper end of the sizing, and they didn't have any in the next size up.  I had the darndest time trying to get this on, and reached a point where I couldn't go any further.  I had to ask the employee to give me a hand, and since the zipper wouldn't go all the way up, we concluded it was much too small.

Back into the fitting room.  I spent the next 5 minutes trying to get that suit off.  It got stuck on my ankles, so I wasn't in a position to ask for help, but couldn't really get it off.  I eventually got it off though, and tried on a suit made by Profile.  This fit better, but the zipper went the opposite way (up to down), and just wouldn't be practical for me.  So, back to the fitting room to try on a QR suit.  This one went on really easy—which meant it was too big.  So, one size down in the same model QR suit.  This one fit perfect, and I could even do the zip myself!  This was the one!

Katie was having her own issues, but also found one that worked (a QR suit too).  In the end, it took 3 employees, lots of tugging, and boxes and suits littered all over the sales floor for us to find the right suits.  It looked kind of like a disaster there (between the two of us, we tried on eight suits—and I did five of them).  The guys were extremely helpful, though, and provided a lot of helpful pointers on what to look for.  Here's what we ended up getting:

Katie and her new suit.  It's a QR (not sure of the model), and it has pink flowers on the leg cuff.  Katie was excited by this.

Me with my QR Hydrofull suit.  No flowers.  I'm ok with that.  It has fun red accents though.  (I'm convinced now that red is becoming my "racing color".)

We both worked up quite the sweat though, and found ourselves exhausted by the whole process.  If I had any tips for people going to get their first wetsuit, I'd say this:

• If there's a store in your area that sells wetsuits, go there.  Buying online may be cheaper, but if you've never tried one on, it's best to have people who know what they're doing to guide you through the process.  Had I ordered my suit over the internet, I would have deemed it too small and exchanged it for the bigger size (which would be too big).  I ended up trying on 5 different suits over the course of an hour, and that's not something you can do online.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help.  You'll have questions like "Is the neck supposed to be this tight?" or "How does the zipper work?".  The people working in the store know the answers, and you won't feel embarrassed for asking.
• Try on lots of suits.  I know it's a lot of work, but if you've never had anything to compare them to, it will take a while to find that "right suit".
• It will be tough to put them on and off (particularly if you're putting one on that's too small).  Don't worry about it, and if you need help, ask.

I'll say that Katie and I are very eager to try out our new suits in the water, so once the lakes warm up, that's where we'll be!

Born to Swim: Do You Like Iron Man?

After yesterday's disaster in the pool, I went for run this morning.  It was a great run, and I felt really good even after a tough swim.  I decided it would be a good idea to go to the pool this afternoon and see if I could run in the morning and then swim that same day.  This was all pretty much on a whim—I didn't even have my contacts with me!  Pretty much blind, I went to the pool and worked on breathing.  It was still frustrating, but I'm starting to get the hang of it.  I still have a long way to go, but it wasn't as completely demoralizing as yesterday's swim was.  I also went 50 yards farther than yesterday, and my rests were considerably shorter.  Then, of course, I was really excited to use the centrifuge.

So, I was in a better mood leaving the Rec because of my better than awful swim.  As I was walking, an undergrad carrying flyers came up to me and asked: "Do you like Ironman?"  My mind thought she was asking about this:

I thought that was a very timely question since I'm starting to swim and may someday be an Ironman*.  So, I responded with: "Well, I'd sure like to be one someday!"  She then gave me a very confused look.  I then realized that she really asked "Do you like Iron Man?":

Sheepishly, I responded: "Oh, the movie.  Never seen it."  I then chuckled to myself and walked back to my office.

*An Ironman Triathlon is the "holy grail" of triathlons.  It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run.  Someday, maybe someday...