For those about to Rock....

Well for Charisa and Jodi who are about to tear up California 70.3 Good luck and Kick ass.

For Rocketpants hope the kids dig the science exhibt....

Bullet...Not sure if when Powerman is but I hope you throttle it.

Leana: Good Luck in the Ice Breaker.

I think that covers about everyone...I hope if I left you out and your racing this weekend toss something into comments.

Tomorrow I have a long ride on tap with Bjoern and Josie...there will be much pain and suffering...(evil laugh.)

So to everyone putting in miles or Reps this weekend Rock on!

R.D.

Work, Class, Train, Papers, Sleep, Repeat.

Alright to explain a little bit on the April Fool's post....I'm not becoming a Catholic Priest although at one point I was realistically considering it ( no lie, just ask Angry Runner.)... the no wife/girlfriend/ sex ...ever and do what the bishop tells you to do even if you don't agree with it clauses really didn't appeal to me. (Especially the latter due to my stance on gay rights/ separation of Church and state.) It's not for everybody so my hats off to the guys who do it.

Alright that out of the way, my life is starting to get back into routine post spring break and post New Zealand...I'm starting to get a little more sleep at night, my workouts are starting to get scheduled around courses, and I'm getting back into order. Life is starting to get into balance...the sad thing is...now the papers are coming due....I have a proposal to crank out for my 25 page thesis, a five pager on late Wiemar/ early Nazi Germany, A memo for law, A ten pager for my modern Germany course, get things organized with my professors and deans so hopefully I'll be handed my degree and not an empty envelope in May....meet with my advisor just in case I have to comeback in Sept. which also means filing financial aid just in case.
All that is a little confusing....but we wouldn't be UConn's bastard sibling....I mean the wonderful Connecticut State University system if it weren't for our bureaucracy.

I renewed my USAT membership for 2009...now I just have to enter one more race to make it worth the $40. They got rid of the online processing fee but instead jacked up the annual fee...seriously I looked at the registration for Tri NZ $5NZD That's $2.50 USD for a memebership...granted NZ has ACC so if some psycho motorist takes you out...the state covers your medical bills ( well this they cover anyway.) and damages although this means you can't sue....Cat seemed to look at me perplexed when I commented on a dude I knew at Fordham.He got hit on his entry level Trek and upgraded to a pimped out version with the proceeds from his suit...mental anguish pays dividend$! Also apparently you can insure your bike down there ( similar to auto insurance),but anyway $40 is seeming like it's a little ridiculous.

I'm going to wait until my next check to sign up for Patriot...I'm planing on going as an elite again to try to set a blistering pace in the swim, also it will be a good hard tune-up for Providence, and it's always nice to have a clear road on the bike....if I can manage to place I'm not going to lie a $300 or $200 check would be sweet, but even an overall top 5 or top 10 would be a huge morale booster.

Still have to sign up for the Griskus Sprint...then the season after Providence is up in the air. I have Park City to keep me motivated... if I make Kona then all resources will be pooled to that...if I don't Niantic might be a fun race to do again, and the Hartford Marathon...or just the marathon...or maybe the Redman full? or just pool up for my next Ironman. Haven't thought about that yet but 09 looks to be better than 08.

Looking ahead.
R.D.

I need to get out of this place....

if it's the last thing I ever do.

Well on that refrain I have decided to give up triathlon. To give up my crazy quest to have some girl like me and settle down with me and seek personal glory.I have decided to answer the call and become a Catholic Priest. I talked to Father Rod Limpus at the Archdiocese of Hartford and have decided to enter the seminary ASAP. I feel that this self reflective road and life of service will help make me a better human being and fufill my true place in the universe. I have decided that I will enter the Benedictine Monestary, The Abbey of St. Michael in Carlsbad, CA for my theological studies. There I can cloister myself away from the world and truly reflect on what is important. This abbey tends to be a little strict so this might be my last blog post for a while, also they tend to be super strict on the no women thing so to all my female acquaintances this is the end of the line for our friendship...or at least for the next 7 years as I study for ordination, or try to keep contact with me through Father Rod. His email is limp-rod@archdioceseofhartford.org

Well I've got to go I've got a lot of shit...stuff to sell on ebay.
R.D.

Ok I couldn't write it with a straight face.
Happy April Fools' Day Everybody!
R.D.

Also nothing against guys going into the Roman Collar club but it simply isn't for me. This coming from years of contempleation.

I figured out why nobody likes to ride with me...

Well Yesterday, I took Josie out for a 58 mile ride (~95km) on my favorite hill training loop. The sad thing is she had no idea what she was in for. The loop begins easy enough the begining of the Griskus loop, followed by a nice decent into Woodbury, followed by a long climb up CT-47 and then some rollers on KettleHollow Rd. followed by a big ass decent then steep ass climb big ass decent on CT109 in to Wahington Depot, a few rollers out to US 202 and then the fun of Flirtation Rd. to Lake Waramaug. The first half of the ride went well. Except for dropping my chain on a flat section of 109 as I snapped a photo for an overseas friend who shall remain nameless. I would speed away on the decents she'd catch back up on the climbs and all went pretty well we covered about 34 miles in 1:50, and then came the ride back. Those big ass decents were now big ass climbs. Josie held up to me for the most part and I decided to spare her the torture of the Morris/ Bethlehem section of the loop, and we just rode back to Middlebury. I decided to that it would be easier just to climb Ben Sherman Hill ( a 2 mile (4k) climb at 7-8% grade.) instead of going and doing the rolling back loop of the Griskus course. We began the climb and things were going pretty well and as I summited I looked over my shoulder to see if she was still on me... no sign of her. I made it back to my car dismounted, expecting her to be about a minute behind...3 minutes later she came in to sight... screaming"What did I ever do to you to deserve that?" Apparently I have a knack for torture, maybe I should go get that coaching cert after all.

Note the look of Agony. Figure if she keeps doing loops like this she'll devestate the competition at Redman. For me I'm just trying to get my legs ready for Providence's hill-olicious-ness. I figure if I can get my bike split down from it's current 2:40-2:45 range I might have a shot at a podium. As soon as May rolls around there will be much more time spent on the bike, and hopefully much death and destruction on the New England Tri Scene, this summer.

Well that's all for me I've got to go make up a week's worth of work in a night.

The Tormentor.

R.D.