Fall Is In The Air

Yes, it's been a while. I've been here... working actually. I know, even I can't believe it.

Fall is a busy time here at the ol' RV Park. We have lots of fall winterizing chores that need to be done before the first freeze but not before the last busy weekend of Rv'ers. Since the two usually coincide, there is a week or two of last minute scrambling.

I'm happy to report that we are just about done. We had a big wind storm a couple of days ago, so we are going to make a last ditch effort to clean all the debris and pine needles off the lawns before the rain gets here later in the week. We are hoping a little effort now will make our spring cleanup somewhat easier.



It hasn't been all work and no play! Ursula completed her very first 5k last weekend. It was a challenge for her, and even though she wanted to stop a couple of time, she pushed through it. It was a beautiful walk, and I think, a fun experience for her. She was the last to finish, and everyone cheered for her at the finish line. The race director came over so he could get his picture taken with her!! She was/is pretty sore from the effort, but has already asked me when the "next one" is! :)

Lets see... what else is new? Oh! Urs got her new recumbent trike! We've yet to take it out for a real road test, but when we do, I'll take the camera along and post some pictures. It's a blast to ride!

I couldn't put it off any longer. I finally had to let the dentist put braces on my teeth so I can someday finish this orthodontic adventure. After 2 1/2 years of Invisiline (so I could avoid wearing braces), the Dr. says I've got a year worth of braces to look forward to ANYWAY! I know... you've all heard me whine about it before. I have a feeling it won't actually take a year... and you all know how time flies when you're having fun! I hear the Ugly Betty look is very popular this year.

OH! Did anyone else spend a Saturday watching the live video feed of the Ironman World Championships from Kona?? The live coverage was superb! I was constantly amazed that I could watch this event live through a streaming video. It was almost as good as being there!

For those of you who have heard of Dick and Ricky Hoyt, this was their last Ironman. I think Dick is now 66, and the distance is becoming more difficult for him. The guy is an incredible athlete, especially considering that he pulls, pushes and carries his 120 pound son the whole distance! It was sad to see them miss the swim course time cut off, but this ushers in the next chapter in their race careers. Dick has said that they will focus on the 70.3 series from now on. GO HOYTS!

Oh... and the last bit of excitement... Ursula and I have been following a fitness regime written by one of the local trainers. It includes a meal plan and exercises, which makes it really easy to follow. The focus is to eat a lean, healthy diet while increasing your metabolism through exercise. I definitely made the mistake this year of trying to lose weight while I trained for triathlon. I found it very difficult to stay fueled and energized while cutting calories.

The fitness program usually starts the day with a cardio workout on the treadmill, which seems to consist mainly of sprints and interval type runs. It varies every day. Since I would rarely leave my 9:45 min per mile comfort zone, it feels good to to vary the pace and push myself a little.

The run is followed by a semi intense training circuit which consists of light free weight exercises, power movements, core training and more cardio. This is usually done for three sets, twice during the day. I feel that I'm training muscles that have been neglected from the repetitive cycling and running motions. Once we finish the 21 day cycle, I'll post more thoughts on the program. So far, aside from the diet having too much green leafy stuff for my taste, it seems to be pretty effective.

I'm planning on going to a Tri bike fit class in a couple of weeks hosted by the author of this training program. It should be interesting to meet him and talk to him about the program.

Best of luck to everyone from the blogger, podcast and triscoop.com community that are taking part in Ironman Florida and the New York Marathon this weekend!

Spokane Half Marathon

We had not seen a drop of rain in months, but Sunday morning started with a downpour. By the time I reached the starting line, the sky had lightened and the rain had stopped. With the temperature in the mid 50's and everything wet and clean from the rain, it turned out to be a perfect day for a long run.

The race started at Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane, the site of Expo '74. The first couple of miles snaked though one of the city's older, and at the turn of the century, most affluent neighborhoods, Brown's Addition. The streets in front of the huge Victorian homes are lined with maple trees, now in various shades of red, yellow and orange.

By mile five, we had entered Riverside State Park, a forested area running along the Spokane River. The next four miles were run mainly on the Centennial Trail, a paved path that runs through the park. The trail snaked around through the trees, often within sight of the river. Even with it's hills, it was the best part of the course!

At mile nine came Doomsday Hill, the 1/2 mile stretch I was most dreading. The previous three hills had been pretty difficult for me, and I told myself that if I just kept going, I would allow myself to walk up Doomsday Hill. Knowing that my fast walk is just a bit slower than my jog, I didn't feel too bad about wanting to walk it. I had been pacing off a gal in front of me, and over the length of the hill, I only lost about 75 feet to her. So my fast walk was almost as fast as her up hill run.

At mile 11 came the only section of dirt road on the course. At this point in the race, I found the gravel very difficult to run on. I was afraid that my tired legs would betray me and not lift my feet high enough, causing me to stumble.

It was along this last stretch that I saw the most beautiful view of Spokane I have ever seen. The road we were on ran along the top of a deep river canyon. The sides of the canyon are filled with deciduous trees ablaze in their autumn colors. Looking further up the canyon I could see downtown Spokane, which is built up on either side of the river around a series of water falls.

While I was struck by the beauty before me, I was also motivated knowing that I could almost see the finish line. I could see the Maple St. Bridge, and beyond that, the Monroe St. Bridge. I knew the finish line was back at the park, just beyond the bridges.

Hey! Wait a minute! Why are we turning away from the park? The finish line is THAT way! Just when I was mentally set to finish this thing, we turned away from the park and ran a few blocks through a little business area. (How did I never notice this street was uphill?)

Finally! The course entered the park, crossed the river two more times and then came the finish line! It wasn't pretty, but I'm happy with my 2:13:47 time. I felt the course was much more challenging than the Coeur d' Alene Half, where I ran a 2:08. I'm also 10 pounds heavier, which truly felt like I was carrying a sack of flour with me the whole race. (I'm going to be working on that!)

This race is well run, very scenic and because of the time of year, the weather usually promises to be nice and cool. I think a more descriptive name for the race would be the Over The River And Through The Woods Marathon. I know, that's a mouthful!

I look forward to running this course again next year.

Waiting For A Sign...

I've really tried to control my emotions, but there is talk of it everywhere. Seems that on every blog and around every proverbial corner, there is chatter about... Next Season!

I've been delaying the moment when I actually sit down with a calendar and plan out next years races. Besides the fact that the 2006 season has just Barely ended, I thought I could give myself a couple of months to think of something OTHER than triathlon.

Ok... there! I said it!

I know... who am I kidding?

Truth is... I wanted to take a moment to consider (JUST CONSIDER!) that there might be something else out there where I'd rather focus my energy.

I'd love to do the STP (Seattle to Portland) bike tour someday. I've also been checking out some incredible marathon courses such as Big Sur, Las Vegas, Leavenworth and Lake Tahoe. So much to do and so little time! I'm like a kid in a candy store. I want one of everything and I want it NOW!

But to be honest with you, and myself for that matter, I don't think I'm quite done with triathlon... nor is it done with me. I feel that I've still got a lot to accomplish. At this point, I'm undecided whether my goal should be fast sprint and olympic distance times OR really buckle down and work to complete a half ironman.

That will be the decision I will ponder for the next couple of months. I'm one that looks for divine intervention, so who knows, maybe I'll see a "sign" that will tell me which path to follow. I took it as a sign when I received an email from Valley Girl Triathlon that they opened up registration last week and the race is already 1/4 full! (This area could really benefit from a Danskin or Irongirl Tri!) Out came the credit card and the registration form. It's a really fun local race and I'm determined to better my 5th place AG finish! So... I guess I've got at least one race penciled in on the calendar!

While I decide what direction to take, I'll keep running, start my swimming up again and hopefully get in a couple nice bike rides before the nasty weather gets here.

Tri on, my friends!

Bikes And Braces

The day started off well enough. It began with a quick 3.5 mile run on the dirt trail out back. I immediately noticed that my pace was a little quicker than would be normal for these somewhat rough trail conditions. I credited my last 10 mile long run for making me feel stronger on this shorter run.

Next up for the day was a quick, but depressing trip to the orthodontist. I've been wearing Invisaline teeth aligners for the last 2 1/2 years. (I think I've set some kind of record!) It's not that my teeth were all that crooked... I just had one tooth that didn't line up with the rest... the proverbial "fang". It's taken all this time to move my molars back far enough to make room to move the "fang" into place... and right now, after 2 1/2 years... it's not bad. Not perfect, but one hell of a lot better than I lived with for the first 42 years of my life!


I knew this was going to be a long process, but the beauty of the Invisaline system was that I didn't have to wear 2 years of metal braces. Anything! As long as I didn't have to wear braces! Well.... so much for that! Doc has informed me that "as we had previously discussed" (I'm sure I would have remembered being present at this conversation) I would need to be in braces at the end of this process to finish it up. Crap! But ya know... what am I gonna do? Certainly not throw the last 2 1/2 years away! Suck it up Buttercup and open wide!

I'm thinking, my teeth look so darn good now (comparatively) how long could it take to do the final few tweaks? How about 4-6 months ? And that's just for the friggin' top! Since I have an overbite, the bottoms have to be done after that! Aarrgg!

I go back in three weeks to get a mouthful of titanium, but until then, I'm enjoying my dental freedom!

Next on the agenda... bike shopping! I don't know if Urs is seriously in the market for a recumbent, but it never hurts to look at what's shiny and new! Even though she has always told me that a person only needs one bike (I know, friggin' crazy person thinking!) I would understand if she chose to change her position on the matter. :) It kind of works out really good for me. The recumbents are a lot of fun, but I probably wouldn't buy one for myself. But, if she bought one, I could ride it whenever I wanted! Thus, it'd be like I got a new bike also! The only thing better than shopping for a new bike is buying and riding a new bike.

Here's a photo of the current rig under consideration. Looks like a chopped Schwinn! Very plush, very comfortable and really fun!


The day finished up with Urs and I bike riding on the Centennial Trail, a paved path that parallels the Spokane River. Once again, it was fun to share with her one of the beautiful places to ride that she was never healthy enough to access before.

She also came to the realization that since she was now able to complete a 12 mile bike ride, she would be able to complete a triathlon! I think completing a triathlon with her would be the highlight of my year... and I think hers also! What do you all think? Is there room for another Triathlete in this world?

Man Wanted...

...Must have boat. Please send picture of boat. :)

Week after next, we will be headed down to the Snake River for 5 days of Steelhead and Salmon fishing. I'm trying to arrange a guided fishing trip, but it's pretty difficult to find someone willing to take a single person out fishing for the day. I'm hoping to rent a boat at the marina.

The RV Park where we will be staying, sits right on the river. There is a nice fishing dock and lots of river bank to cast from. But... The middle of the river is where the big fish hang out, so that's where I want to go!

The Spokane Half Marathon is in two weeks. I completed my last long run yesterday of 10 miles. This was officially my longest training run and Urs, who accompanied me on her bike, was her longest bike ride.

Urs is really enjoying riding her bike while I run. Since she is motivated to ride, I'm less likely to skip a run. It's been very much like having a training partner, and it's been fun showing her my local plodding grounds.


Urs is interested in exploring recumbent bikes, which will add comfort and allow her to ride further. Hopefully, a recumbent would give her enough speed for us to cycle together. This is what she currently rides, a "semi recumbent" Electra Townie. An uber coffee shop ride. I'm surprised it doesn't have a latte cup holder on it.

I'm thinking that when we ride together, I can pull the dog (small but fat) in a trailer, and Urs, with a nice selection of gears on her recumbent, should be able to match my speed pretty well.

Here is one type of recumbent she is considering. If anyone knows about the recumbents or has opinions about them, I'd be interested to hear them!

Of upmost importance today... NFL Seahawks at Bears... Both undefeated. Thank goodness for recovery days!