T-minus 37 Hours.

Well my bags are packed, my bike is in three pieces in the back of my outback, awaiting a quick fitting change and lube job from Al at the bike rack. I did a quick 10 mile ride just to get some of the nerves out. ( Granted I decended one at the whopping speed of 5 mph because the shoulder has completely worn away and I happended to hit the road as everyone was getting out of work.)
Well anyway I decided to remove three months' worth of road grime from the thing tonight. ( I went through two hospital towels and a half can of WD-40). I figure once the wheels and drivetrain are re-lubed I should be golden. Plus I have a cable housing that needs to be fixed so I figure an hour detour at the bike shop to have this work done and pick up some GU and I'll be go to go. I'll probably hit the pool tommorrow, I figure a nice easy 1000 free to losen up before 3 hours at work, an hour at the bike shop and 3 plus on the road should be good, considering my boss scheduled me to work until 12:30, and most people will be on the road between 10 and 11 it's not really a bad thing. I seriously feel ready to kick ass. I mean I'm good to go. I'm psyched up, I'm tapered, I should have been in bed 20 minutes ago, but I feel great. All I can visualize is success. Yes I know I' ll finish, but I mean this race might suit my conservative biking style. Granted the bike is the longest part, and I only average about 15-17 miles per-hour on the bike, my legs still feel fresh for the run and that is where I make up time ( think Macca reeling in Stadler in Hawaii, just replace his 6:25 per mile pace with some more modest like a 7:30 or 8:00 pace and you get me.) Hell at Waramaug last Friday I slowed for a half mile patch of road paved in loose gravel, I watched the top three guys in my age group fly past and open up a lead. After a qiuck transition and somewhat slow opening mile I managed to reel in and pass all of them but my age group's leader ( he was 2 min. ahead) and one smart alec high school XC runner who took off out of transition died sprinting up hill then regrouped to sprint the last mile. I still managed to finish 37th overall after posting the 22nd fastest run split out of 200 finishers. With the longer run I feel more confident. Sure a couple of guys (90% of the field ) are going to be warriors on the bike and build up leads, but it will guys like me who will hunt them down and conquer the run. Ok now I'm starting to scare myself so I'm going to hit the hay and dream of half-iron man glory. Because even through I'm starting in the next to last swim wave, I know I'm going to be passing some of the elite men, and if I can do that then maybe I might have a shot of winning this thing....or at very least placing in my age group. So until next time keep buliding that lead because when I start running crazy shit happens.

You Know It's Bad When I'm Looking Up Air Fare

Well I've definitely got to settle down. All day to day I was at the Great Floridian Website looking to see if they still have open slots ( they do for a modest $350 a piece) so doing an Iron man distance race this year looks possible and with the times the field usually pulls becasue everyone else is at Ironman Florida I might have a shot to top ten overall this bitch. Ok because I haven't completed my half yet I actually don't know how I'll do but I might be able to do the race. Southwest is offering cheap flights, the hotels in Orlando are offering discounted rates, and I'd only miss two days of classes (Thurs. and Mon. yes I know you're not supposed to weekend an ironman, but you're not supposed to weekend a marathon either and I still did it in under 4 hours. ) Well before I dream of Florida grandeur and ironman glory I've got to get through my half. The swim should be good (except their sending me in the next to last wave) the Half-marathon is going to be glorious, it's just the damned bike I'm worried about. You would figure for a race of this scale that they would close the road to traffic or get a couple of state troopers or something but it seems like they're relying on course volunteers to slow the bikers down for traffic. (like we're really the dangerous ones. "carefully Johnny that crazy psycho going 15 on 10 speed might really hurt you, but don't worry about the teenie bopper going 60 doing her makeup and gabbing on cellphone while rolling around in her Honda she's got everything under control. ) Well I guess when you enter an inaugural race you have to take the growing pains that come with it. I think I'll do fine and if they don't have officials out I should try to draft the teenie bopper's Honda, it might save me a couple minutes. Well I've got a quick jog and a CPR class. So until next time beware those crazy spandex wearing speed junkies known as roadies. R.D.

That Excited, Scared, lets kick this pig kind of feeling.

Last night I survived a 5 mile death march through New Britain in 95 degree heat and humidity. Sure it wasn't the smartest thing to do but hey I need the run trainning. Anyway I managed to get 3,000 yard swim in and I'm feeling like I could kick some serious ass, then again I always kick serious ass in the swim only to be passed by legions on the bike. Well anyway I plan on getting a morning swim in tomorrow and then a ride after work before having to sit through a 4 hour CPR re-cert. Part of me thinks I should taper more but I don't like to cut out on my trainning ( every swim coach I had since age 13 just let out a gasp of surprise). Anotehr thing is I now have this sick notion that I might be able to do a full ironman this year ( Great Floridian in October) I don't want to jump the gun so I'll see how I feel after Sunday. Also the fundage is also an issue. Maybe I should set up a web site I could call it www.fundmytris.com and give some crazy benefit like anyone who donates could sign my jersey or something. ( by the way the website does not exisist yet do not click on this crazy hyper link thing.) Since I'm on a rant I might as well get into politics and this whole stem cell thing ( afterall I support the war against ALS, MS, Alzheimers ( I love ya Mems), Cerbral Palsy, pretty much any disease that cause the brain or body or both to rot in a painfully cruel fashion). Seriously I don't support killing unborn fetuses but they recently came up with a way of getting stem cells from embilical ( I know I can't spell but I'm a history guy not pre-med....yet.) cords, or better yet why not clone healthy cells from the living person. Example, if a dude is dying of AIDS why not just take a blood sample and clone his white blood cells and T- cells. I mean it wouldn't destroy the virus but it could temporarily boost immunity, and maybe make the disease like Lyme ( can't kill the cause but treat the symptoms so that the victim can live a decent life). But like I stated I'm not pre-med I'm sure there are a billion reasons medically and ethically why this wouldn't work so before I end up with 60 comments on how much of an uneducated heartless prick I am just voicing frustration, that Bush is his infinite wisdom ( yes this is the same dude that said let's invade Iraq they'll love us. No offense to our people in uniform fighting overseas God bless you may you return home safe and even through I don't agree with the idiot politician who sent you thank you for serving our country.) decided to veto a piece of legislation that could have at the very least, opened up a new way to attempt to combat diseases that have plauged us for decades. But like I said I'm just a bleeding heart athlete/liberal with very little experience voicing his opinon on a blog. So to end this blog on a high note I would like to give a shout out once again to all our service members overseas because it is people like them who defend my rights to publish rants like these. God Bless and to the Guys in the Marine Corps Semper Fi.-R.D.

A Great Day

Well today went pretty well. I managed to get in about 3000 yards in, in the pool. Work was pretty easy. I've just got to book my hotel room for this weekend and get in a run with my homies from CenTri. I'm currently debating on whether or not I should register for Team Blazeman for the fight against ALS oh well I'll save that for my next tri. Well I've got to get running. Until next time keep doing that voodo which you do so well-R.D.

Introduction

Okay so this is my first blog. I have to give a shout out to Angry Runner. Yes I am the infamous Bob-o. My life mainly consists of my modest paying bank job, class, church ( I'm a pretty devout Catholic, not a priest yet ladies), and training like a warrior. So far this year I've done a marathon, an olympic tri, a sprint tri, and have a half iron on tap for this Sunday. This weekend was pretty full Friday night I hauled ass at the Lake Waramaug Sprint Tri in Washington ( if they actually paved the road between miles 6 and 7 on the bike instead of coating it in gravel I probably would have done better but hey 2nd in my age group ain't bad.) Saturday I did a 52 mile bike and Sunday I spent pulling double duty working as an acolyte (fancy word for an altar boy/Eucharistic minister) at Saint Anne's Church in Waterbury, pulling a 13 mile training run between 12:15 and 7:30PM mass. Today was my rest day so I spent it sitting in front of the computer creating a blog, because hey it beats doing nothing, and talking about triathlon is almost as good as doing one. So anyway tomorrow I'll get about 3,000 yards in in the pool, I'll work ( dealing with people who honestly thing I have a say in the policy of a Connecticut bank that shall remain name less)and go on a short training run with my teammates at CenTri in New Britain. So until next time keep training, net surfing, or what ever it is you do-
Bob