Caledonia Kilt Classic

The Goal

Since this is my first race since being cleared to run after my stress fracture a few weeks ago I chose a very pedestrian goal of 33 minutes for this 5k. Since this was my fist 5k ever I knew I was guaranteed to have a PR…for whatever it’s worth.

The Race

I had positioned myself about three fourths of the way back since I figured this is about where I would finish. I crossed the starting line and hit start on my Garmin (I had to bring my new toy!) as I began running. My plan for the race was to practice my run strategy for my upcoming triathlon so I ran for five minutes before taking a one-minute walk break. I didn’t see anybody near me doing anything like that but I ended up passing a lot of them toward the end. Maybe they should have followed my example?

I came upon the first mile marker and hit the stop button instead of the lap button. Oops! I quickly realized my mistake but my splits are just a little bit off because of that. Oh well. I felt good at the end of that first mile and was pleasantly surprised to hear the times the volunteer was calling off as I ran past him. I crossed my fingers and hoped I could hold that pace for the entire run.

The halfway point and mile two came and went before I knew it. My run walk strategy seemed to be working because I both felt strong and had no pain my leg. With a half mile to go I picked out somebody to pass and moved forward. Accomplishing that I selected my next victim and ended up reeling in a half dozen others before I got to that last tenth of a mile. I surged forward even though my lungs were burning. With about 30 yards to go I spotted my family and I tried to make it look like I knew what I was doing as I crossed the finish line and a volunteer handed me a lukewarm bottle of water.



Here’s the splits.

Mile 1 – 10:18

Mile 2 – 9:53

Mile 3 – 9:46

Last Gasp – 0:53

Total Time – 30:52

So, I guess I beat my goal, practiced my race strategy for my tri, and have a very beatable time for my next 5k. Oh yeah…I had fun too.

50 touches

I swam 1250 today by alternating lengths between front, breast, and back stroke. I would have done another 50 to make an even 1300 but my calves were starting to cramp a bit. I wonder why?

I have nothing other than mowing my lawn planned today. I want to go into my 5k fresh and rested tomorrow. I really hope I can break 33 minutes. If not...then not.
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There's a real breast stroke kick? I don't know which one I'm doing...

It's getting there

The Run

I ran 2.52 miles this morning. I did the first half in 14:38 or 11:43 per mile. The second half was completed in 13:25 or 10:33 per mile. Negative splits baby! No pain. No worries. (Don't you love my new Garmin inspired data?)

The Ride

I did 9.05 miles tonight on my bike. I averaged 15.1 miles per hour. I hit a top speed of 25.9 miles per hour (That was kinda fun and of course it was down hill.)Perfect. That's all I want to do for my tri.

After the ride I walked a tenth of a mile and jogged back. My legs felt great. Between the running, biking swimming, everything is starting to come together for the completion of my first tri.

T Ball

My son had a t ball game tonight. We don't keep score other than to note that each team's at bat is over after either three outs or 5 runs scored. BUT - If we get three outs more often than the other team it's kinda easy to figure out that we scored more than the other kids, right? Over the past 6 out of 10 innings (2 games) my kids have reached three outs before the other team could score. I'm so darn proud of them for improving so much over the course of the year.

Softball

It was the top of the last inning. There were two outs. The game was tied. The bases were loaded and my daughter was on third.

The was hit directly to the pitcher and my daughter ran full tilt toward homeplate. The pitcher scooped the ball into her glove and charged toward the plate.

"Slide, Hannah, slide!" the girls on her team screamed as she sprinted past them.

She slid and the pitcher lunged.

Everyone looked to the teenaged umpire to make the call.

"Safe!" she yelled as she held her arms out ramrod straight.

Her teammates rushed the field, hugged Hannah and each other, then lined up to shake hands.

As the dad of the little girl who scored that winning run I gotta tell you how proud I am of how hard she has worked to learn how to play softball this year. She comes home after every game and talks about how much she loves it. She never complains. She just trys her best and has fun. I wish my running and swimming could be like that. She has become an excellent role model for this 37 year old kid.

Breast Stroke

Ok. Don't laugh. Promise me you won't laugh. Promise?



OK.



I learned how to do the breast stroke today and I absolutley love it! It's so darn easy to get into a rhythm and swim lap after lap. Why didn't I learn this easy stroke sooner? I feel like a water bug skimming along the surface of the pool.

Fun, fun, fun!

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Major thunderstorms all afternoon. No bike ride. There's just not enough time in the week to get everything. How do those ironman athletes do it?

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I bought some new inserts for my running shoes upon the recommendation of my sports doc. I wore them around the house. I'll go for a short run tomorrow. (I know all of my runs are short...Don't you think I wish I was running 8, 9, 10 miles and beyond like everyone else?)

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The new album by The National is awesome. I can't stop listening to it.

I teflon taped (thanks Wrench!). I plumber's puttied. I siliconed. I tightened the tail piece to the bottom of the bowl. I stopped the leak.

To celebrate I bought myself my very first Garmin forerunner.

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Now I'm staining the deck. I'm MUCH better at painting than I am at fixing. I even like it.

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I ran a whole 2.5 miles today at an 11:44 pace. Really slow. That's OK. I get to be slow coming off illness and a stress fracture. I know I'll improve.

AND...

I registered for a local 5k for the weekend before the 4th of July. It should be fun. My kids are in the parade right after the race and they'll be dancing in the celebration in the park following the parade. It should be fun for everyone.

AAARGH!

The new sink is in. And, of course, there is a leak that I can neither stop nor identify the source. Perfect.

Go ahead, ask the obvious questions.

Did I tighten the water lines? Yes.

Did I use plumbers putty? Yes.

Did I tighten the heck out of everything? Yes.

The leak is the most infuriating type. While the sink is holding water there is no leak. While water is running down the drain there is no leak. The only drip, drip, drip that occurs is when the bowl is empty. Then the insidious leak reappears.

My next plan of action is to let the stupid thing dry overnight and silicone the heck out of where I suspect the leak is coming from. If that doesn't work I cannot be held accountable for what I might say to the plumber when he shows up and fixes the damn thing in five minutes for $150.

Fixing Stuff

I have to replace one of our two bathroom sinks today. Wish me luck. When it comes to me and tools I am hoplessly useless. If you want me to read a book about fixing things and then tell you all about I'm OK with that. Actually fix the thing? Pray for me.

One good thing about this experience is that I'll get to go to the home improvement store to buy supplies. The store always has the loveliest lasses working at the check out. Why is that?

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I was so, so, so sick over Father's Day. My kids had made so many plans for me and I felt terible that we couldn't do any of them. They are taking me out to dinner tonight.

Before Hannah's softball game last night I told her that if she got two hits she could pick the dessert for the family tonight. She got three hits. She was so proud of herself. She's getting better and better every game.

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Because I have been sick I'm not planning any workouts today. I'll have an easy week with a couple of runs, a longish swim, and a bike ride for the rest of the week.

Sorry...

No. I have not abandoned this blog. I’ve just been really busy.

I’ve been swimming.

I’ve been running.

I’ve been riding my bike.

I’ve been painting, and mowing, and weeding, and watering, and fixing.

I’ve been laundering, and folding, and cooking, and washing dishes.

Sleeping in?

I’ll do that when I retire.
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I took my tball team to the West Michigan Whitecaps on Monday evening. The ‘Caps are a single A affiliate of the Tigers. Our team was selected to be the Baseball Buddies for the game. Each kid got to run onto the field with a player during the introductions and stand with that player during the National Anthem. Then we got reserved seats for the game. They all had a great time. I even caught a T-shirt that they threw into the stands AND I caught a foul ball and impressed the heck out of my son and the rest of the kids and parents.

I'm the big ugly guy in the middle. My son is the irresistably cute little boy to my immediate left.

The Last Day of School

180 days

That's not a lot of time to teach someone everything you want them to know.

We lose about 10 of those days to various things throughout the year.

That leaves us with 170 days to teach everything we want them to know.

We fill those days up very quickly.

Reading. Writing. Discussions. Projects. Tests. Tests. Tests.

Exhorting. Cajoling. Wheedling. Motivating? Inspiring?

Then they leave.

And, on this last day of school for the year, this teacher gets moist at the corners of his eyes as he scans the room with pride and affection at the children who have become his...not just students...but his legacy. He has dedicated each day to giving these students himself. They take it and move on. They don't say thank you because it doesn't occur to them to thank him for what seems natural. But, they they do say thank you as they live the gifts he's given them.

New students will come in the fall.

But these, these will always be his students.

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I swam 1100 yards today. 40 touches plus a warmup. I used my method of freestyle for one length and elementary backstroke for the other. I could have kept going. I could swim forever like that. Today, it feels like I accomplished something.

Walls

Here’s how it feels…

During the first 25 yards I feel fine. My stroke feels smooth. I’m relaxed. I reach the wall, take a deep breath, and push off. About one third of the way there I begin to feel tightness in my chest. It’s as though large rubber bands are constricting my rib cage. I continue to swim. Rolling onto my left side, I breath deeply but it doesn’t feel like I’m getting any air. I can tell the wall is getting closer because I can see the water becoming shallower but it seems like it’s still a full length away. I see the “t” thingy and I reach for the wall and pop my head out of the water, gasping for breath.

That’s what swimming 50 yards feels like to me.

I repeated that ten times today.

Because I was the only one in the pool I asked the lifeguard to watch me swim a lap and tell me what she thought.

She said it looks like a normal swimming stroke. It seems as though I have a good rhythm going for breathing. She noticed how I seem to be swimming on my side and gliding across the top of the water. It looks pretty good, she says.

Huh?

Why is it so freakin’ hard!

Why!!!

Tomorrow I intend to try to push the envelope a bit. I want to swim 75 yard nonstop. If it’s a mental wall I can eventually break through it, right? If it's a physical wall I can work through it, right?

Right.

right?

I was running

I stepped onto my porch and breathed the morning air deeply into my lungs. The world was waking up and I was outside. I looked down at my leg and asked it if it was ready to run.

“Ready sir!” was the enthusiastic response.

So I set off on a walk.

Two minutes of walking brought me to the end of the street and I broke into a run. It was more of a jog. A shuffle? No. A jog. A run.

I was running.

I WAS RUNNING!!!

I covered two miles at the breathtaking rate of 13:12 per mile.

The highlights:

- I was running.
- The early morning smell of wet grass after a day of rain.
- The red winged blackbird calling out my splits as I turned the corner toward home.
- Canon in D minor playing on my ipod as my footfalls kept time on the gravel shoulder of the road.

Because of the swimming, and my methodical pace, I felt no cardiovascular distress whatsoever. I was never out of breath. It only felt good to be on the road again.

I raised my arms in victory as I crossed the finish line that is my driveway. I knew I had just just completed a two month journey that has awarded no medal and provided no t-shirt but has gifted me with insight and wisdom. And, as I crossed this finish line, I realized I was just entering the starting gate of my next great adventure.

I was running. I was running. I was running.

Fear of Soap

My Friday morning swim was ruined by soap.

I walked into the pool office and signed in. The lifeguard gave me a friendly wave. I waved back and turned to enter the locker room. I set my gym bag down and opened it to grab my swim suit and put my clothes for the day in the locker. I pulled out a soapy mess. My Addidas Active body wash had opened somehow (gremlins?) and had leaked all over my swim suit and my clothes. After uttering a few a my favorite profanities I threw my stuff back in the bag and went home.

Darn it.
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It's going to be a busy weekend. I hope I can get away for a bike ride or two.
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Fear.

I've been thinking about fear.

No, not the stupid hack and slash horror movie kind of fear. Not the, "What am I doing on this roller coaster?" kind of fear either. I'm talking about the kind of fear that keeps us from trying our best or giving our all in those endeavors we undertake.

I think many (most?) of us purposely don't give our all because of fear. It's not the fear of physical pain that comes from maximum effort. We accept physical pain as part of the game we're playing. I think we fear the pain that comes from giving our very best effort and not achieving our goal. That psychic trauma would be harder to bear than any sore muscle or lactic acid induced burn. If we really give our all and fail what excuse do we have left for not achieving our goal?

That's scary.

That's fear.