CafeChatNoir

commented in my iPod post: when did you decide to compete in all these races? and I decided it deserved it’s own entry, cause I realize to others, it probably does look a little freaky… It started with deciding to do one race and has kind of snowballed. :)

Given my family’s unfortunate tendencies to up and drop dead a smidge too soon, I know I need to workout very regularly. Now, the issue is that I am not good about doing that just for the sake of good health (yes I am an idiot in that way) - I need something a little more tangible, something to work towards, etc, etc. While I was at the beach this summer, vanity also came into play - bikinis are not cheap, I have two new ones, and I will be damned if I only get one season’s use out of them because I let my body go to hell. Also while at the beach, they had signs up for the Va Beach Sandman Tri, and they must have struck a chord somewhere in the back of my head. When I got home, I sat down to try and think of something to do workout-wise - I’d been good and exercising and all that, but there was no feeling of any reason to it at all. So, I sat and thought about it, and the fliers for the Sandman popped up in my head again and I thought, “Well, hell, I can do that.”

And so it began. I hunted down an old training plan that I remembered being in the Post a looong time ago and started. Decided to just go for a Sprint Tri, which is the shortest type, anywhere from 250-1000 meter swim, 13 miles on the bike and then 3.2 miles running. I suckered someone from work into doing one with me. At this point, I still had no races scheduled. Then I found the Columbia IronGirl in August, so I signed up for it. Now, it’s chicks only, so I still had to find another one to do with my training partner at work - hence, the Virginia Run Tri in May. The Manassas Mini just looks like a lot of fun cause it’s so short, so that ended up on the list too…

I added the Reindeer Run just a bit back, again, need *something* to be working for, and May is a long ways off, and a 5K fits right in with everything else along the way to the Tris next summer. The USMC MudRun happened because one of the other folks on the training site I use is doing the one down in Ft Worth next weekend, I looked at the site for it and decided there was no way I could pass up something like that - I’m just glad I found one in Virginia. The Quantico 5 miler is in November usually around Thanksgiving, I’d love to do it this year, but I just won’t be ready for it, so that is now on next year’s list too…

So, that’s how I went from “Hmm, what can I work towards cause I’m getting bored” to 6 planned races in the next year. There are also thoughts rattling about in my head on eventually doing an Oly distance tri season after next, and the Army 10 miler.

If you’re gonna do it, might as well go all out.

My call sign at work has been changed… It was Sin, which in many ways appropriate given that we’re all in agreement that I will be head bartender on the bus to hell, but my Crozet counterpart decided it wasn’t quite right, and was inspired by my enthusiasm over the return of hockey… And I am now known as “Body Check”.

Works for me.

THE 6GB PINK IPOD MINI IS MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3.2 miles this morning in 32 minutes and 9 seconds, which is a 10m3s mile, which is awesome for me to begin with, but I did 2.1 miles in the first 20 minutes, meeting my goal of breaking a 10 minute mile over a 2 mile run, and the reward is the iPod!!!!!!!

Granted, I near puked at the end of it, but other than that, I felt pretty great and my face is starting to go back to a normal shade from the bright red it was when I finished. Completely pulled it out of nowhere, especially considering I’ve been out late behaving badly the past two nights.

Got word back from the race director of the USMC MudRun down in Roanoke - it’s open to civilians, and next years race date is 9/16. I am SO in. It just looks like way too much fun to pass up. Mud and Marines - it just doesn’t get any better than that, does it? My brother said I’m probably too short to get over most of the obstacles - that’s why there are Marines there, ask nicely and I’m sure you can find a couple to throw you over.

So, here’s what my race schedule is shaping up to be:
– 12/10/05 - Reindeer Run 5K (sponsored by my gym, discount on the registration!)
– 5/14/06 - Virginia Run Sprint Tri (250M swim, 12 Mi bike, 5K run)
– 6/06 - Manassas Mini Tri (250M swim, 3.5 Mi bike, 1.3 Mi run)
– 8/27/06 - Columbia IronGirl Tri (1000M open water swim, 30K bike, 5K run)
– 9/16/06 - USMC 5K MudRun, Roanoke
– 11/06 - Quantico 5 Miler?

I really need to find something in March, I am sure there will be plenty of St. Pats day races around, just need to find them.

We’ve gotten three months worth of rain in two days, there are spots around outside where I could be lap swimming in right now…

Saw the Wallace & Gromit movie last night for little bro’s birthday - cute, mindless, perfect after a week of going full throttle. Hit Sweetwater afterwards and had some good brother/sister bonding time and good oatmeal stout.

Discovered something new this week - don’t know how I’ve never heard of it before - USMC Mud Runs. OMG, the look like SO much fun. Found one that is held mid-September each year down in Roanoke - I think I may have to do that next year to finish off the season. Was talking to my coworker about it, and we lamented the fact that we could only come up with four people in the whole company that would do something like that. His comment was something along the lines of “we’ve got a bunch of pansy-assed girly men around here”

Have directions to the wedding - it’s actually out in Manassas by the airport, still gonna be a PITA drive over w/the weather. Oh, and it’s in a tent. I can only imagine how the bride is handling things at this point.

OK, if I have to be at this shindig at 6, I suppose I’d best go get ready, shouldn’t I?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, !!!!!!!!

aka, little bro

10 minutes ago, the dog comes dashing in the house with something in his mouth. Crap.

Get him to drop it - it’s a piece of petrified white bread. I offer biscuits in exchange. Even go get a new rawhide for him.

As I try to find him in the backyard to give him the rawhide, he comes bounding out from the back 40 with yet another piece of bread.

Seriously, I think I’d notice if I’d lost an entire loaf of bread recently…

Last go round at the pool was a near disaster, did a weight circuit first, then a spectacularly bad swim that I cut short for fear of flat out drowning.

Tonight I got my revenge on the water. Did some time on the life cycle first (cause I’m doing such short sets for swimming still, I feel like I should do *something* else as long as I’m there), then hit the water, did my planned laps and one more just for good measure. And this **after** the life cycle. :-D

My god, the jacuzzi time felt good afterwards, and I am sure the other folks were amused at the fact that I couldn’t get the shit eating grin off my face.

So, it seems my weekend was so great I can’t even sleep now.

Turned on CNN for a bit, they were talking about how the Indonesian bombings were caught on tape - I should have realized that also meant they would probably be airing said video…

That’s gonna screw with my dreams for a few nights at least.

I have to say, this has easily been one of the nicest, most relaxing, enjoyable, just all around GOOD weekends I’ve had in a while. It has included (in no particular order…)

New bookshelves, new music, silly emails, free beer, hockey (even if it was only preseason), two good workouts, errands run, death & taxes issues tended to, Land Rover porn, beautiful weather, an interesting comparison of CNN and the Pentagon that made me laugh out loud, registered for a 5K, discovered a Sprint Tri that is going to be held right down the street in C’ville in mid-May, and some fun junk TV courtesy of BBCA.

Maybe I can get this to flow into the rest of the week. :)

Courtesy .

Garageland & The Feelers. Both available on iTunes, both excellent.

If you get BBCA, I highly recommend Footballers Wives. Makes Desperate Housewives look like junior high.

Being a loyal and wonderful companion, the dog usually follows me around the house. He gave up on that a couple hours ago given that I couldn’t sit still for 5 minutes… But, I’ve gotten a bunch of my books that were scattered about the house corralled into the new bookshelf, so it’s all good.

It’s been a pretty good weekend so far, and I’ve still got another day! Got my tab picked up at Glory Days last night, t-shirt from TriRats, good run this morning, bookshelf all setup and near filled, registered for a 5K in December and got a marriage proposal. (One of these days I am going to say yes to one of these and hold the proposer to it.)

As I was loading up the bookshelf, it’s as all over the place as my music library is. Books on art, art history, military history, paleontology, biographies, Shakespeare, and a smattering of modern fiction. I still have two more full shelves at the old place to get moved over too.

My tastes in music are completely all over the place. Did an iTunes blitz this evening, and really, how many people pull off a group of songs that includes Eminem, Nine Inch Nails, Billy Squier, Jason Mraz, Disturbed and Britney Spears? (Yes, I can’t help it, it’s a good brain rot song, even if it is Britney…)

I would love to see what this does to whatever user analysis software they’re using.

Still a little wrecked from the dentist - feel like I went out and ran 10 miles today.

To celebrate finishing the week in one piece, it’s off to GD’s for a pint and some dinner.

Found out a member of another forum I frequent passed away earlier this month. Rest in peace, Colonel. You’ll be missed. First pint is for you tonight.

Found out that a member of another forum I frequent passed away earlier this month. He was not a young man, so shock wasn’t among my reactions, but he had a kind heart and was a lot of fun to read and will be greatly missed. RIP, Colonel.