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!