Boston....

Well Today is Patriots' Day in Mass. and as usual the world's fastest marathoners will embark on a 26.2 mile pilgrimage from Hopkington to the Center of the "City on a Hill." Along the way there will be epic duels and heartbreaking hill, screaming sorority girls, some slack jawed gawkers leaving a Red Sox game, most likely moaning that these freaking runners take too damn long, and why couldn't they take up a real sport like say , Baseball, for instance. Growing up as a runner in New England this is the one race you have burned into your mind from an early age. You hear the stories about people like Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit, Rodgers Rop,Alberto Salazar the big names of endurance running have made their mark here. Today I know a couple of guys running this thing and hopefully one day have the pleasure or pinning a bib number to my chest and engaging in this thing...but for today...God's Speed Cranky Runner.

Edit # 1: Cranky was through 5k @23:38 on pace for a sub 3:20 marathon! Sorry my math was wrong on the first go round.

Edit# 2 Cranky's through 10k on 3:17 marathon pace.

Edit #3 At 15k Cranky has done 1:10:36
On the elite side of the race a couple of Kenyans have tried to break but Ryan Hall of the US has been hanging tight all day.

Edit #4 Cranky's through 20k...aww screw this race traking on my blog go to the Boton marathon website and use the athlete tracker also watch this thing both the elite races are tight.

Edit #5 Cranky finished in a 3:28...I'm looking forward to his race report. Hopefully one day I'll have my own tale of Boston agony...um... glory to post up here.

The running man returneth....

Well Yesterday I couldn't enjoy the beautiful running weather we had...I was supposed to attend a women's empowerment meeting ( a law class project I have to go a sit in a place where I'm an "outsider".) but I couldn't find the group meeting place I left a message with the head honcho wait she's female so does that mean she' a head honcha? does that mean that this isn't a woman's empowerment group but a womyn's empowerment group. and got no response so there was half an hour I could have been running gone.. then I had a psychology class project ( ie we have to be research participants for grad student projects or write papers...I'm thinking the 10 minutes to fill out a questionnaire trumps having to sit and do research and type.) needless to say the grad student ran a little late so I went to class in my running shorts and I still hadn't run. Prof. let us out early. I was initially going to do campus loops then hit the pool but decided just to run instead and New Britain wasn't looking appealing without a training partner.So I drove back to Wolcott and went to the High School track and did 4 miles. The speed wasn't what I'd like I was averaging just under 8 min. miles, but my training hasn't really been what I'd like. So Last night has kicked off a mini run focus for me. Today 8 miles... and the pool. Saturday Ride then out to Newport and while I'm in RI dinner and a movie with a friend who just happens to be a girl... and I just so happen to be her date to her comencement ball. I figure a nice flat 8-10 miler on Sunday before hauling back to the C to the O to the double N.

Next pay check I need to haul out to Road and Track and pick up some new New Balance trainers for the 09 season, as my 768's are approaching the end of their service life...they have had a good run.. no pun intended...but they're at the end of their road and to continue to put prolonged mileage on them would result in injury. So that is the next major purchase on the equipment horizon. I wish I had some new and exciting stories but right now it's just the same drivel...that will change in about a month.

Enjoy the weather people it's finally spring! ( deepest apologies to my Southern Hemisphere readers where it's autumn.)
R.D.

The Ides of April.....

Well it has hit. For some of us today is D-day for our annual show down with the IRS. For me it is a day of multiple things becoming unlocked. Entries are open for Ironman New Zealand and they are just about as cheap as last year... Lottery results are announced and I find out if I'm going to Kona via a Golden ticket or if I have to work my way in. I bought my 2009 edition HEAT gear...so once again by finely tuned ass will be decked out Black, White, and Red livery of Connecticut's hottest tri club. Today not much on tap try to get more work done on my thesis. Also since it's supposed to be beautiful try to get a pre class run in. It's days like this I'm left longing for what's coming this summer....Racing....It's what I live for.

R.D.

Edit: Upon checking the lottery results I didn't get in. Looks like I'd better keep training...worst case I'll have more cash tucked aside for IMNZ 2010 edition.

Sorry if I've been away....

Sorry for not blogging much this weekend nothing really happened on the training front and Saturday and Sunday I spent in a cloud of smoke ie doing the altar boy ( one of the kids didn't show up to mass so I got to play with fire and incense Saturday night....and to answer the burning question I did not set my church on fire.)- Eucharistic minister thing for Easter. I could go on a reflective tangent about suffering, pain and redemption, the amazing JC workout plan but I think I covered the full spread last year to read those posts click here and here. My blog is going to be pretty dead over the next couple of weeks as I finish my thesis and other papers so if I go two weeks with out a post ( highly unlikely but still it could happen) I'm not dead although I'll probably be wishing I was as I get the last 40+ pages of my undergraduate college writing career in....and Colombia's coffee futures start growing at an exponential rate. ( note to self Caffeine detox after this semester.)

Yesterday I managed to gather all the sources for one of my papers and it's going to be a good one...religion, politics, genocide...
The thesis well it's dragging out but I'll Get R Done.

Thats it for me.
R.D.

Good Friday. My week in recap or The Passion of the Bob..

Ok usually I post some religious reflectional stuff today ... I'll just save it for Easter...

I'm into the Patriot and should be entered into the Griskus by Monday so my race schedule is more or less complete. The tri club paid my entry into those races so I'll just save what I was planning on spending on them...so big toe nail+ arm = money in the bank. I'm trying to control my competitive side which wants to go out a tear....save it all for Providence...if I make Kona great... if not well...there are worse tragedies in the world...I just don't want to end up with the Moonlight Graham deal from Field of Dreams...come so close to my dream and never achieve it, granted becoming a Doctor with a moderately successful prcatice doesn't sound too unappealing...hell that's my career goal.
70 sec. last year at Eagleman...Had I not bobbled in T-1, not had to pee in T-2, hadn't dumped my water bottles with 5 miles to go on the bike, Had I tried sneaking into the Y for 2-3 more swim workouts... had I saved a little more, or sold some more stuff, had a better mental mindset,what ifs, maybes, would be nices...I really hope that when I'm 40 I won't be saying the closest I ever got to Kona was a measly 70 sec. away from the roll down at Eagleman when I was 23. That hopefully at that point I'll have my life figured out.. a stable and profitable career, and a couple of Kona and Boston Marathon finishes under my belt would be nice too. I find myself reflecting on Macca's article in Triathlete. He said he was worried about us young guys. Especially since all the young pros seem to be all about money and not about passion. Right now I'm racing for passion and seriously if I was told tomorrow that I could race without having to worry about the bills I would in a heartbeat...until then I'm going to continue to race at the best level I can. Why because I love it...someweeks knowing that part of my check is going to a race entry is what gets me through the week where the normal responses to" Hi how are you?" is " Cash Large Bills" Or " Overdraft! Do you know who I AM?" or the all too typical " Just another day in Hell." just knowing that I will compete in X months/days gets me through the tedium, and just what seems to be a vaccum of negativity. Racing is my passion I do it for nothing...I love it to me, well it's life. Sometimes I can get just a tad bit annoying but this sport is what I do, it's the first sport that I've had pretty steady success....and I want to see how deep this rabbit hole goes.



I'm taking one of my sister's friends to her commencemet ball at Salve on May 14, granted I have to be at work for 11am the next morning so this is going to be fun. ( I was intially hoping to take the following day off but someone beat me to the punch.) I figure leave the dance @ 1AM and try to drive back. I was intially hoping to stay the night but I-95 blows during rush hour so I'm figuring my drive back immediately plan might be the most fatiguing yet most time saving. Worst case I'll just pack my work clothes with me...or better yet show up to work in a Tux...maybe we could say it's part of a promotion...take out a credit card/home loan and live like a high roller...wait isn't that how we ended up in a financial crisis?

All right that's all my ranting on that.

My thesis is coming along things are getting ironed out it's looking like I should graduate in May...I'm probably going to take some Community College or Continuing Ed courses this fall to keep my loans on differement and get myself medical school ready before I apply to a Post Bacc Program in the fall for the Spring...start looking for a second job or a better paying one... although I can't really gripe with my current one other than I need to start making more...hence I need to either move up or double/triple/quadruple up. Having a living wage paying gig with steady hours and weekends off sounds tempting....if only there are any still out there.
My rant on that done.

On the training front I managed 7000 yds. so far this week, the Y closes early tonight...seriously who closes early on Good Friday anymore? So there will be no afterwork swim session for me...but I plan on running today and tomorrow...despite the rain and gale force winds. Maybe swim tomorrow after work.
Sunday if I can sneak out of dinner early I'm hoping to ride...worst case it will be an evening trainer session.

Well that was this hectic week in the life of Bob-o.

R.D.

Prefontaine..Prefontaine... Why have you forsaken me?/ Beware the Ides of April !

Alright my run training has been non-existent and it's killing me. I did a 5k off the bike on Sunday and my legs were so tired I felt like I was going to collaspe a mile in. I have more pressing things going on in my life but have I become that lazy that I can not devote an hour or two to running every other day? I try to wake up early but the snooze button is sweet. I try to go after class but I'm just exhausted and besides I need to research...which that doesn't happen...stupid facebook...stupid aim....spent half the night talking to a friend whom I taking to her commencement ball at Salve.

April 15 I have to throw down coin for my cap and gown...Professor 1 is getting me a grade...gotta iron out things with professor 2 and the anthropology department...same time I have to NOT FAIL...anything this semester...and I'll graduate...then start the "oh shit" process of getting into a Post Bac. Science program and then medical training....then hopefully get my little white coat...and work until I drop dead....or pay off my debt what ever comes first.
April 15 is also the date I find out if I made Kona via the lotto and the date entries open for Ironman New Zealand 2010...and oh yeah payments for HEAT uniforms are due.... and a little thing called tax day...wait I already filed...cross that off the list.

I seriously need to run...if nothing else to clear my mind. So after work my 8 mile loop and I are getting reacquainted. Saturday is supposed to suck weather wise so I'm thinking a 8 miler then as well...figure it'll be better to run in the cold and wet then to ride in the cold and wet. I need to rebuild my base because I want to head into Patriot and Providence with a better run leg than last year. A 1:47 is ok...but when there are guys capable of pulling 1:27's I need to get down into the 1:35 range... My swim has always been my savior, I lose some time on the bike and the run is hit or miss, I manage to catch some of the uber bikers, but get annihilated by the fast kids..so it equals out...I'm solid, I'm consistent, I just need to be faster, especially for the goals I want to achieve.

Well that's it for me.
Back to the grind.
R.D.

Bi-POLAR New England Weather

Well there were many a mile put in on the bicycle this weekend in completely different conditions. Saturday, Bjoern, Josie and I struggled to get 40 miles in at Lake Waramaug. Pouring rain, cold temperatures, brutal cutting headwinds blowing the bikes all over the place. It was more reminiscent of my Ironman New Zealand training rides than an early spring session. Josie's feet went numb at about 30 miles and that left Bjoern and I to duke it out for the last eight, I don't know what it is with this guy but he has sprint power in reserve. We ended up thawing and drying out over Pizza in Middlebury.

Today, I found out that a family function was canceled which freed up my afternoon so I took the bike out for a 66 mile love fest in the hills. It was nearly polar oppostie to yesterday, 60F a little windy but I was comfortable in shorts and shortsleeves. I rode up to Lake Waramaug, did three loops then descended back into Woodbury and capped it off with the ascent up Ben Sherman Hill or that lovely 7-8% grade. My quads and hams were screaming with each revolution, but I figure if I keep working the hills now I'll be better prepped for Providence. I decided to throw on the running shoes and got a nice 5k in on the Griskus run course, my first brick since February. I was bonking hard core and decided that packing it in early was a smart move. Tomorrow morning I'm thinking of an early morning run session as I need to start building my mileage. I also need to start a routine so I can fix my training around my classes. The swimming is easy but the running is a tad bit more tricky and the cycling looks like it will be limited to weekends until mid-May...granted it is stayling lighter longer on Friday so I can probably start commuting by bicycle,and save a little gas. This Summer I'm commiting to commute the 2 miles to the office by bike unless the weather is horrible figure that way I can also go right into training from the office...but regardless that's for another post. All in all it was a good weekend on the training front. If I can get my run legs back with the program I'm confident that I'll have a good summer season.

R.D.