Sunsplashed Bevvy

Wisco retreat

2011-12-27T11:25:00.002-06:00

Coming to you from balmy northern Wisconsin, I'll recap the scene thus far. I cut free from the shop on Friday afternoon and streaked to Stillwater to collect Jenny and pets to get rolling on the northbound. It's been pretty hectic for all parties the last few weeks so I for one was really looking forward to a relaxed holiday. I am enjoying the relatively warm and snow-free conditions and have been on the snowmobile and XC ski trails almost every day now. I actually hadn't realized how many trail options there were within 30 miles of Lena, WI but it turns out this could be a pretty amazing training ground if you wanted to drive to some runs most days as they're just outside of running distance and hurdle a few deer carcasses along the trails. I took Asher on a 15 miler on some hilly reforestation trails a couple days ago and following the extenisve Asher:human matrix, we come to the conclusion that he ran upwards of 20 miles, accordingly he exemplified the "tired puppy." We later learned dogs aren't allowed on those trails. Not sure on that one. I shall keep my cheese intake up and pay my pilgrimage to Lambeau.

back to it

2011-10-24T15:34:00.002-05:00

After my 2:25 effort at C-bus, I'm going to try to bounce back to catch some of the more enticing local races. I'm thinking Tulsa Run, Pub Run(obviously), and Route 66 1/2 marathon. There's some different ideas running around my head about what to really gear up for but I know I should be able to get some pr's going.

As far as last week's marathon effort, I was not ecstatic with the result. I felt very fluid running through halfway in 71 minutes but there were some issues at the start of the race that resulted in me needing a few miles to get loosened up, then possibly pushing a bit too hard to make up time and consequently faltering a bit at the end. I still felt affected by some exercise induced asthma late which is not uncommon and by the finish, I was again super sore and constricted through my ribs and intercostal muscles. It was a good race though on reflection and to be honest I think I needed it just to get back to racing a marathon and recalling how that feels.

This week was nice for a little regroup but I really didn't feel too beat up. I am still getting sore running on the roads as that comprises my commute. I ate good food, drank lots of beers and got out on the bike a bit. This week also saw the return of Asher to heavy training. That dog is going to run some solid times this fall as well!

road trip on the mind

2011-07-27T09:47:00.002-05:00

In but a few days, Jenny and i will be departing for the left coast by car for what should be an excellent and relaxing vacation. Of course prior to that time, the annual OKRunner summer sale must be dealt with. We have a few plans on the itinerary but should find plenty of time to unwind. A few highlights will be a boat trip the the Channel Islands, some trail running at Point Mugu and Laguna and hopefully some Jenny eating some raw seafood. We will be overnighting in Albuquerque and Flagstaff for some nice respite from what tends to be otherwise a somewhat hot and arduous drive. If you ever have the chance to go to Needles, California in the summer, I suggest you pass.

down from the mountain

2011-07-19T08:33:00.003-05:00

I just returned from New Mexico last night and am recounting a highly enjoyable trip. I spent most of the week in Santa Fe, arriving last Monday to hit up an easy run with Mr. Jerry Faulkner. Jerry was nearing the terminus of his stay, which would total a month, and was a little cooked for much of the week. I experienced little issue with the altitude, the main difficulty being the constant undulation and technical nature of the terrain. We trained with some very good guys and enjoyed a relaxed environment with good food and plenty of tea. I enjoyed the fact that these guys train very much the way I do with nice progressive runs and steady pace, whereas Jerry was constantly pushing to get the first mile in at a certain pace. I also made sure to follow the locals schedule, so we were running at 6am, while somehow Jerry had run every day of his prior stay without doing so, running solo for much of it. All this is to say Jerry was thoroughly cooked upon leaving, whereas I feel only like I pushed perhaps the last couple days when I was on the move and not relaxing between runs more adequately (and I ran consecutive 23 and 20mile runs.) I would love to get back for my fall preparation for perhaps a couple weeks in September but we shall see.

THe second aspect of the trip was a few days in Albuquerque, running with the Dukes Track Club. I got to check in with Scott Hollingsworth, the Lisles, and meet The Henry Rono. I would like to think that there is a good chance I may make a stay here a reality. It's becoming a big city and I enjoy the training venues available and the company that I would be able to train alongside on any given day.

Summer Train

2011-06-10T14:38:00.002-05:00

The heat is here in full for the summer but I am optimistic that I can get what I need to done for a few races here and then an October marathon. I may try to get out of town in August or September for a marathon prep but I think the majority of my summer training will be conducted from Oklahoma. As for marathons, I'm thinking Chicago or Columbus with another race potentially at the end of the year. We've had some nice additions to the local training group with Conor Holt returning to the fray, and hopefully the first generation of guys finished with eligibility from Martin's group also joining for some runs. I've been training consistently for a solid 14 months, something I'm happy about. I've also been able to manage some quality volume for most of that time so I guess my biggest concern going into the fall will be whether or not I can integrate some marathon sessions here and there through the summer. I am interested in utilizing the Devon Boathouse, with it's altitude chamber and treadmill. I may actually do some loengthy workouts on the treadmill this summer simply because I can take fluids readily throughout and maybe run those marathon specific workouts when it counts. Finally, I have brought back the Summer Cross Country Series and look forward to making that a fun way to get out on some nice venues that have sprung up around town.

pukstased

2011-05-04T22:21:00.002-05:00

OKC marathon weekend has come and gone and I have a few things to conclude: never presume a marathon is out of reach especially in shitty conditions and given that OKC is a horribly run and fairly rugged, never seed 6+ minutes at the 1/2 marathon mark to a person who came to a race to try to set the stroller marathon world record, and finally always have a beer waiting for you after a long race no matter how rapidly hypothermia may be setting in. I'll follow up this post later but I'm getting ready for a refreshing weekend in New Mexico. Suffice it to say I'm pleased to have participated in the race and it was a much more exciting finish than I might have imagined. I didn't set out to give myself much of a chance at any kind of time but I did turn a 4 minute deficit at 20 miles into a staggered 800 meter race to the finish. OKC officials obviously had no idea at the drama that was playing out as they never have in the at least 4 recent occasions where the race has been decided by a few seconds.

not to be outdone

2011-04-29T08:11:00.002-05:00

I just gasped when I saw how far down Jordan's blogroll undate list I had fallen. So it's OKC marathon time and inevitably I get suckered into participating in an event that conjures a very mixed response for me. I have had some bad runs for sure at this event and a few, nay, one good one. In any case, this event is very important for the community and it's great to see so many people participate. However, the organizers continue to mandate a "non-elite" event. All this means is they give absolutely no regard to waving any potential income to the race. I believe in supporting the cause, etc. but I think the magnitude of this event has outgrown the original course setup. Now it's an utter bottleneck that leads to confusion, mishap, and frustration in finishing the final miles of the race. I am also mistified by the total proceeds that have been donated to the memorial. I forget what figure, over 11 years, was being touted but it doesn't even amount to half of what the race brings in a single year at this point. There are fees with putting on the race but with this event so many primary sponsors would cover the costs that it's obvious somebody is making a pretty luxurious living off this thing. Again THAT'S FINE but doesn't meet their outlook on the event and if the race is all about the pride of the experience and yet you charge the PREMIUM for marathon entry, $110 as of April 1, something is a little off. Sorry to be Scotty Downer but that's the truth. Make this thing legit and improve a few aspects and this could be a true keeper.

So anyway, I'm doing the full but haven't entered yet, the race is on Sunday, right? I'm hoping for a race, nothing else. I felt I had done a decent job preparing for heat and humidity. Turns out it's going to be cold and windy. If anybody goes out hard, I will not be with them. I'm respecting the OKC marathon gods and running a negative split race, it rarely bodes well for those who don't. The goal is really to mentally master this thing and be ready for a beer promptly following. Cheers in advance--

pre-pre-race workout donuts

2011-03-25T06:48:00.003-05:00

Lots of action so far this morning, prior to 6am. It all started when I woke unexpectedly at about 4am. I think I must have been roused by something out on the street but I also noticed my IT band was kind of achy and my knee a bit stiff so I decided to grab my Hemingway compendium and do a little reading while doing some a little passive stretching. Basically, I got caught up in the action and by 5:30 I heard Jenny's phone alarm go and thought maybe I'd get the french press up and running for her (since she's inept with the intricacies of good coffee). This led to a frantic search for the iron, some pet play time and finally the notion that surely our neighborhood Korean donut purveyor must be operational by this hour. Oh they were and their donuts were still warm and pretty sensational. So as I sit here reeling from this morning's events, I think about how nice it would be if I could be up at this time more often to enjoy the sunrise but it's just not possible and this is more tending towards a Rodgers-esque mid-slumber snack. I will say that I am not going to regularly eschew the virtues of sleep for food, or much else for that matter as I feel that would only be a gateway to the "human zoo syndrome."

tendinosis is in the air

2011-03-01T22:00:00.004-06:00

Came off last week's midweek hilly long run with some pain in the achilles, the only other time I've encountered this is a month back heading in to the 3m 1/2. I don't recall having to do a whole lot to resolve it, just lots of foam roller massage and light eccentric stretching which is basically what I'm doing now but this definitely started in a more agitated state and I noticed a little nodule with localized tenderness. It's a little scary to head back out on the hills now but it will have to go down in the next couple weeks for a test. As of now, everything seems to be coming along well and I really only had to cut a couple days of mileage and intensity.

I'll take this time to add some fuel to the old and oft maligned minimalist shoe debate. I pretty much run in only lightweight trainers and have for some time. I'm not afraid to put on the flats for workouts or runs when I'm feeling spry. I think we all know how this goes, some days you feel stiff and deadlegged, maybe a bit sore from a workout and with at least 25-50% of my run probably taking place on concrete on any given day, I need some cush on occasion. Form is irrelevant in my mind on this one. Often my 2nd run is strait off of work and it already takes a time to get the tendons and muscles loosened up before I take to the streets, so the touch of support and shock dampening I garner from my shoes is well worth it to me in my plight. The issue I have immediately noticed is that the slight heel lift in most conventional running sneaks is significant enough to diminish strain on the calf and achilles. Case in point is my current aggravated condition. Just a few days with a heel lift was enough to diminish my problems, which granted are not as substantive as Jordan's. Point being: some cush and lift is good for me and even minimalist types like my buddy Rex Pace, on occasion, particularly when running 120+ a week on alot of hills and pavement and then working another good 6-8 hours daily at the shop. Gotta give the dogs a break every once in a while.

Karhu folks can thank me later for this photo, but bear in mind most of these guys' miles were on soft, pine needle-laden trails and they drank reindeer piss which enabled them to grow terrific beards.

short stuff

2011-02-18T09:29:00.002-06:00

Training is going well over the last couple weeks pushing miles for another week then will emphasize quality a touch more for 2-3 weeks prior to Dallas Rn'R 1/2. I'm doing a couple local races including a 25k that will serve as a quality marathon effort. That being said, there are no firm plans for a spring 'thon. Lots of strength work this week and then a 20k tempo effort tomorrow and hopefully a long run on Sunday with good company. My colleagues and I have all been enjoying pretty good training and I think everybody is looking forward to good times ahead.

There are some nice additions to the food and drink scene here, some nice restaurants, a new OKC beermaker, and my buddy Andrew opening his own chocolate shop in the near future.

guero goes to Austin

2011-01-31T09:14:00.002-06:00

This weekend's short and sweet venture to Austin resulted in a pr in the rarely raced 1/2 marathon distance for me and some quality food and beverage. The 3m course is definitely a very fast one, however the 71 degree start temps at 6:45am meant we were dealing with some sturdy wind and high humidity. The race went out easily enough and I was pleased to be in a group of 5 or 6 which I hoped would just pull me along for the whole race. That notion fizzled after a few miles and as it was still extremely humid the turns we were navigating were fairly slick and the lunaracers were not sticking to the pavement. By 6 miles or so there are more straightaways that would hopefully result in an amazing time. However, I was getting pretty warm and thirsty by this time and it was not my best section of the race, it's where I lost Ewen North who would end up pulling in Jerry and the dude he was running with. I was happy that I did put in a few more good miles to get to the finish. This is a course that would be amazing on the perfect day, which Sunday was not. However, I'm pleased with the time and will look to improve on it later this spring.

The food portion of this chronicle will serve to commend Hey! Cupcake, Hill Country Pasta, and Guero Taco bar for some quality stuff. I may have been feeling the affects of consuming this nosh, but it was a trade I gladly made.

One more note, beer cures all: I had a pretty ravaged stomach and headache post race thanks to the humidity and heat. Add a couple shiners to the mix (and some migas) and things started to promptly improve. Thank you beer for all you do and your gently kindness when in post-race distress.

Iditarod training

2011-01-21T10:46:00.005-06:00

We had our first ice storm of the year yesterday and while it was relatively tame, it did force me off the roads in the morning. I've been getting quite accustomed to running at Sutton and it's actually been good for the most part as i've been able to really jump the miles up and not feel quite as rough as I probably would had all those miles been on the roads. My personal record has been 8 laps in a single run so far although I also added some inner sections that lifted the total mileage for the run to 13-14 miles, even better was the fact that Asher was with me for the duration and with the distance to and from the trails he and I amassed 2+ hours of running. I'm actually planning a 5k time trial for devil-dog after his base phase is complete so stay tuned.

Jerry, Stu, and I will be travelling to Austin for the 3m 1/2 marathon in a week's time where I will be looking for a satisfactory performance in the 70 minute range. I'm keeping the training going right through the race but am going to try to freshen up a bit as I've really hit the miles hard for the last 2 weeks and while a trip to the Chinese buffet will no doubt help recovery, I am in need of a modest down week if I have any hope of running a sub 70 effort. We're all eagerly awaiting Meagan's effort and after comparing notes with Camille Herron, have no doubt that she's capable of a qualifier.

chocolate and cheese

2011-01-14T10:30:00.002-06:00

My blogging has been pathetic so I'm starting the new year in modest fashion. I had the pleasure of venturing to Wisconsin for New Years and stocking up on lots of good artery clogging things. We toured the New Glarus Brewery, which is an epic setting. I went to Lambeau to see the Pack dispatch the Bears, while carefully monitoring multiple beers to ensure that they didn't freeze solid and making use of a coozie to keep the beer WARM. I got to walk across a frozen Lake Michigan and make fun of Wisconsin natives delightful accents and laughable antics like stuffing hundreds of animal mounts in a single bar or covering windows with plastic sheeting to insulate. It was a really fun trip and the 16 hour drive each way really didn't tax the body too much. Upon return to OK, we were greeted with pleasant temps which rapidly deteriorated to near Wisco-like temps. The new place started to feel pretty drafty and the heater seems functional in exactly one of five rooms. So as we speak, I'm snacking on cheese curds and fixing vinyl sheeting over the windows.

runsnobokc

2010-12-07T12:50:00.002-06:00

I figured since I have a day off I would go ahead and make up for 5 weeks of inadequacy by posting twice, maybe even more, today. So, I thought it might be time to give notice of some distressing issues going on in these parts. As a side effect of increased runner traffic, Edmond has decided to enforce ticketing of runners who don't stay on the sidewalk. I, myself, was stopped last spring on a run heading east on Lindsey, not more than a 1/4 mile from where the sidewalk ends on a section of street that has been widened to four lanes, but with no shoulders added. I would imagine it is but a matter of time before we see much the same tactic used in Norman. Now, while I'm not totally a fan of running on sidewalks in general, I can understand the need to underscore the importance of runner safety in the darker months. However, there seems to be little building code or consistency with creating sidewalks or lighting. Seeing as it is now dark as soon as one is getting off work, people are probably going to gravitate towards safer, surer footing, lights, etc. I have a huge issue is people cannot feasibly run. The problem is obviously a lack of venues conducive to running. This has been mine and others complaints for a long time and an obvious problem with throwing up bike route signs or not following through on completion of outdoor venues and the like that would cater to those parties interested. I think polling of citizens to ask what they need is in order and oversight of how these places are managed. It has also shocked me that we don't do a better job of implementing facilities that obviously work in other cities and as a result are clearly a bright spot of the area and a boon to society.

an extra man

2010-12-07T12:00:00.002-06:00

To close out the fall racing season, I decided to just go race everything in site and see what results followed. I had done little preparation at all for this as I have just tried to get my miles in and the workouts have been scattered. In a 10 day period, I raced 5 times. 3 of these races were 5k's and despite running over everything from a flat to a very rolling course in cold, windy conditions to warm and still, I ran within like 3 seconds each time. The other race was a warm and windy Route 66 1/2 where I sustained 5:30 pace feeling pretty comfortable in effort but with legs that felt leaden. I proceeded to hop in to the marathon after my race and pace store associate Pyle through his sub3 hour quest which unfortunately was a bust and then I paced a long string of folks into a nasty headwind before booking it roudabout to the finish for an impromptu marathon. Three days later, I ran our OKC turkey trot on a frigid blustery day trying to run away from a college kid, only to get left in the last quarter mile. I probably didn't gain a whole lot from these efforts as they're not particularly of merit to me but it is a good lesson in teaching the psyche to run hard even when in full lethargy and dead-leggedness. I will intend to give some more races a try starting around February, with the intention of a good 1/2 marathon performance, but as of late have hit a speed bump with a bit of a stomach bug that has ended a good string of high mileage days. I have been enjoying my last couple days lessened on the roads with some films: How to train your dragon, The Lebowski (Jenny's 1st time), Onimasa, The Extra man and looking to refresh the mind and body.

add.: gabf winners

2010-10-29T13:30:00.006-05:00

Over a month ago, I ventured to Denver for the Great American Beer Fest. It was awesome, despite falling on the same day that Jenny and I ran over 2 1/2 hours at altitude. To say that the offerings at this thing is vast does it no justice. It's a festive event that I hope to attend again down the road. Beer unites and it was fun to see just who turned out for the event, the who's who of brewmaster rockstars, the costumes, the bearded and bellied old-timers, and of course the raucous frat dude types that try to swat your beer glass out of hand and yell "oooohhhhh." We paced ourselves and enjoyed some street vendor donuts and light beers when we needed a break. I think some of my favorites were of course the more beastly IPAs, the sour beers, and then some of the cask aged beers. I did really enjoy an orange blossom ale at the end of the day which pretty dry and just had a really fragrant and light-handed citrus aroma. The evening is a blur, but suffice it to say that it was also Oktoberfest in Denver and we were within walking distance of our hotel so I worked the pint glass pretty good. All of the OKlahoma brewers were in attendance and so a few weeks later when we ventured to Chickasha for The Roadkill and were treated by the brewmaster from COOP, it was fun to compare notes and feel like I was abreast of the trends in the industry. By the way, the Roadkill was awesome, it was a beastly course but I ran in a progressive fashion and was able to run under 16 minutes for my last 5k of the race to track down a couple good guys. The post-race bbq was good and the bevvys were sublime especially out of our awesome tankards.

GABF winners

Here is a quality pic from our innaugural Lake T-Bird Chili Trots. It shows a few festive event-goers working on their tan, my trusty running pooch buddying up with some other dudes chili bowl, and said tankard.

Here is a picture of corrupt chili judge Gustavo Tomasino working the crown up and giving props to O'connels and Mustang Brewery for rehydrating everybody post-run.

flux capacitor

2010-09-26T16:32:00.001-05:00

I had no intentions of taking this much time away from blogland, but it happened though I remain committed to this endeavor. Summer was tough here, but fall has arrived and the weather is sweet. I had a lot of trouble getting the sessions in this summer and so my performance at the Chicago Marathon was about what I expected, given a less than immaculate race day. I really had not done a lot of long runs and so I questioned how the last miles of the race would play out. It really felt about the same to my previous marathons and despite warmer weather I felt fairly well hydrated until late in the race which may have contributed to some asthma-like symptoms which actually were far worse at Boston. I remain optimistic that I can run much faster given further training and a little luck. I enjoyed the trip overall and walked a lot of the city following the race, which may have contributed to a little niggle in my foot which is still lingering. I don't know weather drinking tons of beer, and giving Jenny a piggy-back ride through much of Chicago the evening after the race did me in, but it probably didn't help. The only reason I'm mentioning this is I have a Pub Run to win in 3 weeks.

so inane and sore

2010-08-10T16:09:00.003-05:00

Where to start on the report? In glancing across the intertubes it's always tough to feel like when people are running really fast, I'm at my slowest, but that could probably change if we had some weather where I wasn't pooring sweat within minutes of starting. It's an interesting case study seeing who seems to manage training in the heat and who doesn't. Take the interesting case of Jerry's kids, who is well on his way to running a 2:19, I believe. The workouts are there, if he would only concern himself with some specific fuel depletion runs I think he has it, despite training through an Oklahoma summer. For me, I'm going to bide my time and see what happens when I feel capable to sustain a steady pace for more than 20 minutes. With any luck, it will be the first summer I've completed in quite some time where I haven't sustained a significant injury.

I would post some workouts to keep myself accountable, but they've been lacking or omitted entirely so I'll suffice to say that I am trying to keep the miles up in the triple digits, while getting a couple 5-10k pace workouts and then whatever steady running I can muster in addition. The Route 66 1/4 marathon and 5k was a fun diversion for Jerry and I, the results are entirely off, other than the fact that Scott Macpherson lit us up. I'm unclear just how they fucked up so badly. I would have liked an explanation and apology for screwing up as they pointedly and arbitrarily added time to the 5k to only some people, both Jerry and I being affected, and I am somehow completely left out of the 1/4 results while Jerry's time is again erroneous. I did drink 2 sierra mists, 1 20oz monster lemonade, 2.5 beers, and 20oz of Nuun promptly after the race along with various other beverages in the next hour. I also drank gatorade at all 5 stops during the 1/4 if that is any indication how much fluid I am seeming to need while running hard in this weather.

The running arena is in a bizarre state right now as there is a huge influx of footwear showing up on the market. We've already experienced issues with the Fivefingers with people that aren't even running in them and it is bizarre to me just how this idea has perforated the recreational runner psyche. At the very least there will be some cool flats and lightweight shoes for me to use, but I feel little sympathy for the companies that get burned on this one when it fizzles. Jerry has mentioned that the standard offerings in Asia from Asics are a much lighter shoe to account for a smaller typical stature there, I was thinking the new NB Minimus Road had a distinctive look like that group of shoes that he has shown me both in weight and fabrication of the upper. I think the shoes are a bit overpriced, considering the idea that they are minimal in design, but that's always been an odd part of the market- how can a size 16 993 not cost more than a size 6?

I'm thinking of setting up a little beer paring with some of the beer Jenny brought back from Wisco. Trying to find the perfect match for cheese curds (maybe a milk stout or nut brown?) and then then perfect match for a nice brie. I had a great local beer yesterday, Choc's Wild Brew one that I believe will garner merit at GABF. Choc had been lousy for so long, it had taken me a while to gain confidence in their offerings. However, they are definitely making an attempt to pick up their game, starting with last year's award-winning Dubbel.

i'm a Spike Jonze fan

dark bubbles

2010-07-19T14:16:00.004-05:00

Fuck my legs- particularly my left one, interpret that however you please. In a perturbed haze, I sought out some political insight into this months various state elections. I'm intrigued by the fact that I know 2 of the candidates for the district 44 race in the state house, Emily Virgin and Isiah McCaslin. Most of the candidates are running with a surprisingly liberal slant, for Oklahoma, of course. Education is mentioned heavily along with personal freedoms, this of course gets pretty murky because one persons "freedom" is another's "protection of personal freedoms." Interestingly, as stated by the incumbent, Oklahoma is "#1 in the world in female incarceration," a noteworthy stat, if true. Also remarkable (if not fictional), is the idea that significant funding can be recouped by pulling state National Guard troops off the trail of pot growers. While I agree it's an unnecessary exercise, I think that I heard some of the most ridiculous ideas from what was only a low-level q&a session- and yet I will be voting for one of these individuals. We're also being bombarded with incredibly vague and painfully obtuse commercials about individuals governing tactics or qualifications for election. Popular themes include, blanket "tax decreases," cuts to government spending, and the all-too-appealing return to the nations founding principles, patriotism, and expulsion of illegal immigrants. I'm also sick of seeing somebody's children as the assurance that so and so is a qualified and moral leader, how about someone with intelligence and new ideas for progress. I have witnessed no real insight into politics and I'm scared by the fact that some of these people are going to be elected.

In other news, 2 cyclists were killed this past weekend in separate accidents. I don't know what this indicates, probably the lack of quality roads around here and the ignorance of people new to the clash of bikes and cars- I'm saying both sides are at risk and liability here. Jenny and I got yelled at by a cyclist at Lake Hefner who was a bit too overzealous about the rights of pedestrians and cyclists. I'm sorry but if we're running as fast as you are biking, we're just going to run on the bike path accordingly, not the winding concrete sidewalk that merges with the bike path at points anyway, take it up with whoever designed the path and mile marks. Good luck dude, you're not going to make any friends being a prick out there and the RunHers girls only hate bikers that much more now- and they're driving SUVs so good luck.

It's a dark, sunny day in Norman today.

Good politico music, or ideal for mulling over a beer list.

Planks

2010-07-11T12:40:00.002-05:00

I'm about to head over to The Abner to watch the culmination of a beautiful futbolistas and fervent fans with all manner of noise making equipment. I don't really find said eguipment to be "annoying" or "distracting." In fact I think it's an indication of the level of enthusiasm for the game that the fans can drink beer, wave flags, yell/spit/whistle at players/refs without a break. The sports animal WWLS is broadcasting from the bar which I also believe illustrates the fact that soccer is an unyielding force that should be more than just lightly accepted by Americans. It also illustrates the fact that sports is a sellout scenario and Jim Traber, ESPN, they can all be bought. Suck it! I'm going to eat sweet potato planks and drink quality beer to toast an epic event.

just a dream away

2010-07-09T12:04:00.002-05:00

So since I last reported, I was in the thick of things in New Mexico grilling red meat every night and consuming bacon and beer for breakfast. The training camp had to end, of course, and now I'm back in muggy Oklahoma. I hesitate to really complain because the weather has actually been a lot cooler than it was while I was away and some people had to train right through the worst of it. In any case, I feel like I've re-acclimated to the summer conditions here and returned to my sleep deprived self. Mileage is still up but I'm sort of taking it a little more easily with the long tempo runs as those are more difficult in these conditions than anything.

We headed to Ada, OK for the 43rd annual Fireball Classic and came away with mostly positive experiences. Jenny got a course record, C-top got his first quality race effort in, and I ran a decent time over a very rugged course. The guy's record is held by Conor Holt from '96 when he was evidently coming off the Big 8 10k title. The fact that I was 20" off that mark is comforting even though the time is a wash. No real race plans for July so just going to put the head down and grind some miles hopefully to get back out on the racecourse in August for some 5ks mixed with a few marathon workouts/prep races.

Some great sporting events over the last few weeks, only to be topped by this weekend's WC final and Alp stages of Le Tour. I haven't touched the bike in weeks but I may or may not have run some miles in a thong speedo or spandex devil oufit. I will say that I toasted the worthy play of the Germans and there eventual futbol demise at pint night and got a WC collector's glass to prove it.

I wish indie music wasn't making it into movies/car commercials/insurance adds so rampantly:

Alburque séance

2010-06-22T17:53:00.006-05:00

There are a lot of things that pass through my head on any given run, in fact scenarios probably get more bizarre the more miles I'm doped up on. This little voyage to the desert has been a really enjoyable time, made better by the number of friends who have passed through, were already posted up here, or who are in the process of getting things set up here. There's a definite attraction to the "altitude effect" which I'm going to suggest is both real and percieved. We've done a pretty good job, Jerry and I, of setting ourselves up for the best training we can manage for three weeks and having that little glimmer of belief that the altitude will help play a roll. I really am pretty over the fact that THIS is an altitude destination, I think it's a great place to train because of the venues available, the low humidity, and the availibility of quality beer in a 5 block radius. There's also an appropriate level of eccentric behavior and other recreational folks, albeit some pretty odd cyclist characters on the bosque.

As of this morning, we seem to be on our own for the remainder of our longer sessions. We did 10x 3' w/ 2' recovery. This was an extension from a couple weeks back doing 8 reps and we were able to run significantly faster this time around. The plan for Jerry and I is to continue meeting up weekly for a workout like this, a marathon pace run, a long run, or possibly an EPIC long run throughout the next few months. I figure we can definitely push each other and help keep this momentum. I have been doing some thinking and am pretty sure that I will do Chicago come October.

Now, maybe it was all the fermented beverages I absorbed last night sitting out under a bright moon on the summer solstice, but a pact was made between the Scotts. Jerry is no help in this wager and I'm pretty certain no one else is either. The Big Texan is now situated equidistant between us and will have to be reckoned with at some time, not so far away.

And now I encourage you to suggest an explanation for this photo, may the naysayers step forward. I will say I was not under the influence of any popular recreational drug at this point, and no it's not glamour shots:

echo

2010-06-15T16:41:00.003-05:00

The work continues to be done around these parts- and others. We're still feeling better by the day, with the help of some clutch nap sessions. I expected to feel really rough yesterday, but it really wasn't the case and by the time we doubled back for yesterday's pm session in the foothills, I was feeling pretty good. These trails are amazing, for anybody uninitiated, we ran 80 minutes out on a single trail just covering territory, being entertained with epic vistas and the occassional wildlife or biker. I will note that I find it surprising how many women run out on the trails by themselves with headphones and without a dog. I will say we see more ladies than dudes working out, period, but I just found it to be an odd decision to be out there solo and then setting a barrier between yourself and what's going on around you. I mean, if you want to race you need to at least hear me coming up behind you so I don't get the jump. But seriously, there are enough bikers out there to warrant a little awareness of who's coming around the corner, not to mention the potential for a predator encounter, injurious scenario, or least likely a negative human encounter.

This morning we got moving with a fartlek on the bosque, moving well. I didn't feel tiptop but ran better than anything that I've done even at sea-level and I've run exactly 20 miles/day for the last 3 days in a row so as long as I've got some fight I'm comfortable with my progress. We saw Matt Henry out there right when we were getting finished, who coached one of the guys doing the workout, so we stopped and chatted. He was sporting an old LSU tee and evidently he was kind of run out much like some of the OU coaches of the past, rough considering his pedigree.

We did encounter a minor issue when our grill ran out of propane and considering 90% of our dinners have been grilled (for maximum carcinogen content) we will be scrambling for options in the wake. We will certainly have to refuel at some point as I stumbled upon a German grocer who sells specialty sausages and... dark swiss chocolate. Perfect soccer fare, yes?

I sleep well when I drift off to sounds other than an annoyed feline:

bajo la luz

2010-06-13T17:35:00.003-05:00

What a week. There's alot of ways to induce self-loathing and I've selected a more scenic way to do so. We've been secluded all week, surrounded by mountains and premium cable. What's not to like? Well there is a certain sacrifice I'm feeling being out here, which is tough and my blackened soul will be tested. I do feel the transition beginning for me and as long as I perform in a couple key workouts per week, I think by this time next week I will be able to tell if I'm benefitting from this little endeavor and workload. I have had to be creative with calories, trying to get the nutrition needed while staying fueled for my workouts. I was kind of concerned at the end of yesterday's run when I felt utterly depleted and knew that I was running 21 miles this morning, but we made it through and now my body will hopefully allot a bit more glycogen for future use.

The food has been good, as have the beers and I think we will take a few road trips to look a little farther abroad. Today I'm shot though, I realized it's been over a year since I've run this far, which ain't good and I needed to do this to test the meddle and recall just what running out of fuel feels like and then probing beyond that web. I did have 5 different IPA varietals last night and it's a good thing, i don't know if I'd have survived.

Mentionables for the week:
- Jerry almost got in a fight with some dude on a recumbent in the middle of our tempo run, only boosting my spirits for the remainder of the run.
- We met and ran with several folks that are much faster than either of us and they voiced their support for what we're doing
- Despite being in fitness paradise Jerry still allicited an 8am "put a shirt on" from a prick in PT Cruiser. Jerry's reply: "Stop eating cheeseburgers."
- We ran past and got a hello from the lieutenant governor on this morning's long run.
- Due to visible salt stains on my shirt, I was asked midrun if I needed a drink from a passerby on the Bosque.
- I've made 4 different varieties of pancakes, each of which I believe will standup to the requisites of a needy female companion AND her dog back in Norman.

prelude to greatness

corre fuerte en el bosque

2010-06-11T11:42:00.002-05:00

Jerry and I got cracking early this morning for a uptempo session on the river, no thanks to Rookie the cat who was walking all over me throughout the night. It was still pretty cool and I didn't feel like the temps were an issue whatsoever, I even warmed up in a long sleeve and tights. However, it was dry enough that the exertion elicited a little workout stomach. All that means is that I had to have a beer with my breakfast tacos, post-run, and while tuning into the 2nd half of the WC opener. I think things are going swimmingly and despite running some of the more undulating foothill trails last night, my glutes and climbing muscles were only mildly sore and didn't limit my acceleration over the last mile of this mornings run. We'll return to the river for the 19 miler on Sunday as we think the odds of us getting out over our heads will be less but we're going to try to go run up on the top of Sandia peak tomorrow. Since everyone and their dog (hopefully) are heading out here, we hope to get some great miles in with friends and keep the spirits high. I think we are being good about taking the miles easy but tonight is going to be a little track session to enhance this morning's tempo run, and then I will drink a pint or more on Knob Hill.

This was the tempo and timbre in my head at 7am on the canal path

have the okies arrived?

2010-06-09T21:48:00.003-05:00

For better or worse our presence has been noted by some of the locals in town and so now we're hoping to get linked up with the group for some long run action on Sunday. Jerry and I felt pretty good this evening, which is a beautiful thing considering the amount of work we've put in the last few days. The weather is sooo much more tolerable than in Norman and so like this evening for instance despite having moved pretty well through a 90 minute run this morning, I wanted to add miles tonight, but alas we opted for some photo journalism. Today was an 18 mile day for me and I think I can keep it going this week and maybe build on these numbers before I have to head back to the swamp. Not to be left out of the tales tonight, we had a little New Mexico surf and turf tonight and it was solid alongside a salad straight from the backyard. I'm worried my beard is going to be no match for Jerry's and this is kind of demoralizing but I will run him harder to try to deplete him or something and outdrink him to see what that does for my follicle virility.

get fast, but don't hurry

2010-06-08T21:22:00.002-05:00

Broadcasting from the Duke City, aka Albuquerque. Jerry and I have made a pact to do what we can to up the training stimulus by training here and at a few choice alpine destinations in hopes of reaching beyond our existing bipedal powers. Henceforth we will refer to this training stint as the Barbaric Chamber, which involves a very specific manifesto and schematic. The plan is certainly not without sacrifice in many ways, but in the wake of suffering shall come greater passion, I hope and believe.

The highly thought out and scrutinized ruleset goes something like this (taking into account it was jotted out on a bar napkin last night):

1. No shaving/personal grooming. No exceptions!
2. Minimum of 10 miles/ day
3. At least 1 beer/ evening (NO AFD's!)
4. All meat products should tend towards the red varietal
5. If significant predatory animal is encountered it must be subdued in < 1 hour
6. Grilling multiple times/ day intended
7. Drinking beer in the shower encouraged
8. Green chile pre& post run shall be attempted
9. 1 nap a day is good, 2 naps a day is better
10. Everything ordered at a restaurant and all grocery items must be consumed in their entirety (leave no trace)

I hope we make the most of our stay out here, it's a real treat to have the opportunity to get out of the humidity for a bit and although it is hot here, it's a much more manageable dry heat. We are looking to link up with some of the local guys training out here who can help us find our way to the various amazing venue options around town. This morning we started things off on the the UNM track with some good work and compared notes with Jacob Kirwa, who's about to head to Eugene for NCAAs. We checked out Heart & Sole sports which is a cool and mellow store but with some good runners in tow. Tomorrow morning, it's 90 minutes en el Bosque.

So much about these songs appeals to me right now:

maybe I can dance

2010-05-23T15:13:00.003-05:00

Long week and I seem to have come down with an allergy-induced cold or something. When it feels like you are sleeping in a swamp, it's hard to really get great, restful sleep so I think the weather is out to foil my life again. I did have the pleasure of good company at this weeks' $3 burger session and again the prompting for an Abner's sponsored race was felt. I'm thinking of a race, a club points series, and then a combined score from perhaps the whole thing, which will be offset by probably something like the pub run where beer drinking is mandatory or at least aids your time in some way if you choose to indulge. Until then, rest assured I'm training hard again and doing my damnedest to improve the state of Norman running and I'm not the only one.

KEXP 90.3 FM - Live Performance: Beach House on 04/12/2010

when they kick in your front door

2010-05-09T21:30:00.003-05:00

I'm not going to try to defend the quality of my apartment, but I like to think there's a quiet dignity to living in Essex. That was the case until a bum came in and tried to help himself to one of my beers as Skolnick just informed me. I like the location of this joint, SOME of the neighbors and the price and yet there are a few obvious issues at hand, not the least of which is my next door neighbor who has woken me up multiple times with his middle of the night cussing sprees and general creepiness. All this goes to say that I won't be renewing the lease and shall most likely be setting up camp in a Lindsey St. abode in the coming month.
More importantly, I have made it through another week without much issue, and will hope to race in the next few weeks. I did hit the T-bird trails for in informal race in honor of Gustavo continuing to feel pretty good and cancer free. I haven't heard the full report of the longer ventures, 25k and 50k, but I did run a quick 10k and promptly refuel with donuts and low-point beer and have apparently made it through the ordeal none the worse for wear and tick free.

I'm also still an animal and yet I don't seem to have the ability to grow a mustache, which continues to irritate and disappoint me:

more toil, more fun

2010-05-02T14:37:00.003-05:00

Good week, much less busy at the shop than last week and accordingly I had a little more pep in my step. At this point, I should note that I'm spending a lot more time warming up and stretching than I ever have on a consistent basis. I'm feeling pretty good on the run but I'm just hoping to keep the running streak alive at this point, run a few summer races and then get into some higher level stuff this fall. I logged about 85 miles this week, doubled on 5 days, and had a couple good long runs. Topped things off this morning with 95 minutes finishing strong and immediately proceeding to omelets, bloody marys, and the football.
Thinking of trips this summer and though I'm not leaving the states, Phillip enviously did, I'm not sure why no Tour of the Gila for those guys but who can complain about Belgian beer, chocolate, and women?

10 beer salute

2010-04-24T10:20:00.003-05:00

Crazy week with the OKC marathon back and bigger than ever. I hope for great things from all of those folks with whom I've communicated. I have had very few good races at OKC, myself, but I've seen some great performances from other folks out there and it truly is an amazing event for OKlahoma. I had a great topper of a week out in Taos last week but unfortunately I guess after a long drive, 9 hour day at the shop, and the emotional fervor that the Boston Marathon created left me with my nagging hamstring flared up and me pretty frustrated at the precipitate from a single ill conceived day. Anyway, I'll be bringing the OKRunner relay home and hoping that we can run 2:25 or better and win the thing, which really shouldn't be tough but can prove to be so. So to up our chances and pay homage to those before us, I felt like a significant volume of beer needed to be consumed at Chelino's and beyond. The reps were good enough to buy a few for me under the guise of what I can only assume are corporate hardships or something fro being in OKC. In closing, I recall last years marathon experience as a trying one for most involved but one that will hopefully prepare all of us better for future running, Jordan still seemed unbreakable on that day and I'm pleased to have been able to train with him in preparation to summon that kind of performance.

Here's a pic from Taos:

relax, it's a controlled burn

2010-04-14T22:15:00.002-05:00

I'm taking a little down time from the shop that will include a visit to Taos, NM for the rest of the week. Today I was feeling a bit tired after a solid morning run, 10 hour day at the shop, and the yog home. Today Skolnick and I jogged a bit over to the track so he could time trial a 200. He didn't quite do his best but a 27 second split after just jogging over to the line literally and hitting a sprint is fine. Then I baked some cinnamon rolls and dropped our neighbor and buddy, Dalton, at work. Next was a nice jaunt on the bike. I needed to see what Lago di T-bird was looking like and since the wind was wailing out of the south, I really just had a crosswind that wasn't too obtrusive. Finally after finalizing my taxes, some reading, and a nap, I was readying myself for a second run when I noticed the Indian guys living in our apartment were up to there standard bimonthly parking lot cricket game and, shit, my car was right next to the "batters box" for lack of the true term, and just while I'm standing there this dude swings and fouls off the tennis ball right into the Matrix. So that basically made me sure that I needed to probably move my auto off of the asphalt playing field and in any case I recalled there was a gathering for my buddy Justin Lebeau and his wife to announce the gender of their child, so away I went, to spread the congrats and eat a few appropriately blue snacks in honor of a boy on the way. I knocked out the 2nd run as the sun was setting and felt pretty good ambling home. Maybe tomorrow I'll be on mountian time.

30th anniversary of the Wall

sting and burn

2010-04-11T23:01:00.002-05:00

I ventured over to Redbud for my annual non-paying entrant position. This year proved to again be warm like many years, but unlike last, and a lot of people paid the piper. I think most people just chalk their slow times to the course and heat but they don't ave the doubly frustrating side effect of nausea. I, being an apparent "uber-Anglo" with slim to no pigment in my skin seem to suffer heavily, either that or I suffer from a vit. D overdose on these occasions. I also tore my heal up running without socks so hopefully that amounts to naught. Anyway, alot of people were doing the skeleton dance out there so the fact that I was running in a progressive fashion made me feel for the people I went by late in the race. I ran like a 18:15/17:15 split which was fine by me considering the ridiculous continuation of an overlap of the 5 and 10k courses that completely stagnates the 10k course and if you're racing it's one of the more demoralizing scenarios I can imagine where you are trying to duck potential casualties while alluding your pursuers. ENough of that shit, I finally got some beers and brown rice down and am feeling much better but only after having to lay around instead of getting out for more fun on what was a pleasant spring day if you weren't trying to run. Stuey & Kat Lisle looked good out there and Jenny impressed as always so the stakes are set for OKC in 2 weeks with those characters and I'll be out there for a relay team that can hopefully stay out front of ALL of the marathoners this year.

those blue eyes like chips of ice

2010-04-04T17:33:00.002-05:00

I'll try a simplistic format for this one so myself and everyone else can get on to their Dia de la Conejo or moveable feast festivities.
points worth mention for the week:
1. logged decent mileage through the Oklahoma spring gales and in spite of my own severe pedestrian deficiency thus far, this year.
2. survived a remarkably severe, yet short, weather phenomenon that I maintain marked its epicenter at the very site I call home, Essex Square Apartments. I'm talking downed power lines, uprooted Bartlett pear trees, and significant on site structural and auto damage.
3. Attempted a "pint night" unsuccessfully, but capably handled the $3 Wednesday burger.
4. Fended off an advance from middle-aged woman while dropping off recyclables in short shorts.

mentionable on this day:
1. 90 minute run in high wind and humidity, perhaps my least favorite climactic scenario.
2. lost consecutive Foosball matches to decidedly weaker opponents
3. cut weight with first hair cut in long, long time. I cried a little for each follicle inch lost.
4. About to uncork the Maredsous 10 in the big bottle and enjoy my first Turducken, not quite this guy's recipe but an Okie counterpart no doubt

the amount of coffee in this mug doesn't warrant this mug

2010-03-27T23:32:00.002-05:00

All right here I am. I'll lay it all out for you. I've been lax, I've been busy, I've been angry. I've biked alot of miles instead of run them, I've drank a lot of beer without having run to and from the bar, and I've set not a one race goal for the future whilst listening to and watching those around me tear up the scene. But on this day, I have bucked that trend, I've run to a bar and quaffed one beer and then another. I timed this so as to ensue with a certain cold front that was blowing through town so that I was particularly chilled whilst sitting on the patio at the Library but perfectly acclimated while running home, dare I say outstanding. I am really glad to see my friends around me feeling good and running well and I will ride the upswell of energy that I pulled from this weekend to get my own ass in gear.

Where you at?

2010-01-31T10:58:00.003-06:00

Those were the words uttered, or shouted, over and over at me through the phone as Skolnick and I headed out of the apartment to see what manner of road kill awaited. As we headed down Buchanan St. to try to corral a one Spenis Hunt, we started peaking in to several bars to see where this hooligan was lurking. Our phone convo circuitously proceeded something like
Me: All right man we're looking for you, so you're in Joe's?
Spenis: Yeah Joe's and Othello's. Where you at?
Me: I coming from just up the street at Essex, stay where you are we're coming for you.
Spenis: Where you at? La Luna? I'm at White St. and Boomer.
Me: Fuck me. How the hell did you get over there so fast? Now where are you, we're on White St. and I don't see you.
Spenis: Where the fuck you at?

So as you can see, we were in a bind. Spencer was clearly obliterated, PD were out and about, and I couldn't seem to find the asshole, considering I'm walking down the street, which are sheets of ice, checking out every locale he claims to be at, some of which are closed for the night or fictional period. Anyway I give Skolnick the phone so I can scan the horizon and look for a drunken idiot in every alley and gutter. We notice some guy walking down the street yelling, not Spenis, and then look further down the way in the direction of the dude's yelling and notice Spenis is in fact walking down the middle of Asp yelling into his phone. Mission accomplished. But oh no a drunk Spenis still has pretty good foot speed and slick street maneuverability. Anyway, we finally retire Spenis, I think, for the evening and I went and got some food.

Life is going good right now as a 27 year old. I'm hardly running but I think that will come shortly and I'm pretty fit from cycling. I don't have any spring race plans other than a possible duathlon in late March for laughs. I am trying to come up with some definite summer plans in the form of mountain runs, and bike tours nothing that is going to involve a lot of specific training just mostly lenghty aerobic outings.
I find myself reading a lot of the minimalist/barefoot literature the has been coming out of the woodwork lately. I have a lot of issues with it and would like to here from more veterans and seasoned coaches on the topic. I do know that the only stress fracture I have sustained was after training in the most minimal footwear across the board that I have ever run in. I love the feeling of barfoot running but for the Harvard prof to blatantly suggest that people go run on pavement barefoot is really tough for me to swallow. Of course man can run a marathon on pavement barefoot, but how fast and consistently? I know the tales of Abebe Bikila but he wasn't training on concrete, nor racing on it at the Rome Games. I know of few other cases where people have run exceptionally on HARD surfaces without footwear and I personally think it's a little dangerous to advocate such a blanket statement. I think the benefit of SUPPLEMENTING training with minimalist work is to improve form and efficiency but I think that efficiency could just as easily come with some proper drills, speedwork, etc. Dynamic training is an imperative for the average runner, too much of the same thing without real progression and room for adaptation. I want to hear what my friends think.

Lots o' links:
http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/index.html

http://www.dailytriathlon.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1412027%3ABlogPost%3A35769

http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/

http://www.imogenerun.com/

http://www.blueridgerelay

cracked

2009-12-20T21:34:00.003-06:00

After some deliberation, I finally agreed to head out on the bike with my co-worker Duke Kern, on the bike. I needed to get in something a little more serious in the way of active endeavors what with everybody around me doing all manner of good things on the run. I met Duke and a few other guys from Fossil 1 racing at the Draper marina and headed south, covering all manner of Norman, OKC, and Slaughterville countryside. I felt reasonably good for about 45 miles and then I incurred a definite hitting of the proverbial wall, which saw me crawl in while one of the other guys that's a little off his game paced me. All in all it was a good one for sure and I definitely need to learn to eat and drink more on the road and most importantly get out on the road for some longer jaunts. I covered right around 60 miles in 3:10 or so, while the others pulled away by a minute or two in the last 5 miles or so. I was pretty beat at the end, I've never ridden that far, but I enjoyed the company greatly and benefited from the group ride as we shared the pace. I had a pretty real headache at the end and couldn't summit any hill out of the saddle as it induced immediate acidosis.

I did get in some good dining opportunities this week, making it to the new Hal Smith establishment in town, Cha Cha's (nothing noteworthy there), Pepe's, and O. THe latter two were great as always and I got to catch up with some friends, chat with Emilio, and preview for today's ride with Aaron Smathers. Next week I'm supposed to run the pubs with Jerry, which I'm not sure will become a reality, although drinking at McNellie's should. ALso, I learned that Abner's Bar & Grill will in fact be the moniker of the Norman version of McNellie's, presumably after the man who surveyed the city of Norman and it's slated for a February opening. OUt of time, but here's a thought for you kids: I may be on a research panel to see whether NSAIDS are potentially a immune response suppressant and performance enhancer when taken immediately prior to endurance exercise by countering hyponatremia, with which I of course have experienced issues. Tim Noakes is one of the major proponents.

watch this space

2009-12-17T10:36:00.001-06:00

I'll be making a concerted effort to amp up my posting and maybe throw in a couple "best of" posts since I have been so pitiful in keeping up with this thing. Must. Find. Motivation.

it's the wood that makes it good

2009-11-25T09:25:00.003-06:00

As has been the trend for quite sometime now, I'm battling injury so I'm hitting the bike which is not so unpleasant and allows me to commute to work in a fairly timely manner without the use of a drop of that blasted petrol. Speaking of combustible compounds, I have been back at the fermenter, priming yeast for battle. My latest beer has yet to be named, suffice it to say that it's a BIG BEER. I started with a sweeter Irish style stout so, think sweeter than a Guinness but drier than a Sam Smith, and then I elected to ferment on American Oak soaked in a little Michael Collins. So time shall render a verdict, I will definitely cask next week and I should be able to get a sense of the direction that this thing is headed. It will definitely be a beer that should benefit from time in the bottle because of such a spectrum of ingredients.
Last point of order, I was unable to attend the McNellie's Pub Run 2009 which I'm not pleased about. In any case, I think the race deserves a quick review. A direct rebuke from Stu Lisle-Odell was issued in regards to the lengthy distance run prior to the first beer station, apparently well over 2 miles that takes less of the equalizer effect out of the race. Another strong criticism or scornful remark echoed from multiple participants regarded Chuck Sloan's decision to pour more beer on his singlet than down his throat as can clearly be discerned from this photo:

I think it is highly notable that one of the bigger roars emanated from the crowd as Johnny Mullholland pounded his last pint to move into the coveted 3rd and last money spot. I tip my hat to all who were man enough to keep the streak alive and I'll just have to return next year. Groina shows excellent form here and maybe we refer a photo to Sloan for next year of the unsullied attire at the finish line.

I personally think we should have seen our first DQ of a lead runner as the guy clearly didn't drink the allotted volume of beer and thusly should only be recognized in the "Run" category. This is high stakes shite, people.

The Molly and Bandit show

2009-10-21T20:23:00.002-05:00

I'm coming to you live from NW Nompton holding down the fort at my friend Vickie's place. The vantage is good, said characters and myself are nursing a tall beer, eating some Triscuits and making sure not to poop in the house because mama gets upset when that happens. We'll be heading out for a walk/jog in a couple minutes but I'm pretty sure Molly and Bandit are pussys, because they're both pure bread Toy breeds and so I'm guessing running ain't gonna fly. They can haul ass around the house when they here me open the fridge, though. Best case scenario is I get them home without getting beat up by any stray cats or armadillos.
I managed to again meet my match on the injury front in the form of a glorified hamstring strain and am hopefully ready to do some running again after a 2 week layoff. I have not been doing any exciting travelling but have made the most of my free time by studying the art of zymergy, potentially coming up with a new concept beer, listening to music and eating some $3 burgers. Spenis and I will be hosting a slumber party this weekend and then eating at some snazzy breakfast joint on Sunday morning, come ye all.

'round the block

2009-10-02T17:34:00.004-05:00

1. Ran a low-key 10k last weekend around the state capitol, winning by default to collect a few clams, more happily, I didn't seem to injure anything and was able to get after it the last 5k meaning progress has been made...

2. Jerry Faulkner ran a solid time at the Quad Cities Marathon last Saturday. The guy had done some great summer marathon training and it paid off. That being said, it also may have knocked out a few chinks along the way, but I think it took his training to a new level and I guarantee he's got faster days ahead if he keeps his head down.

3. We finally were able to get a proper-like sushi crawl going in Norman. We went Gaijin (at their new location?), O- , and In the Raw. Lance wasn't the only tired puppy at days end but I closed the day at the shop (45minutes tardy) meeting and re-inspiring some OU art kids. One was a scrawny ex-runner for Calvin College and Brian Deimer, chances are I probably ran against him at the Notre Dame Invite in 2001 and that I have attended each of the couples' art screenings on multiple occasions. Exceedingly small world-

4. Watched as much of The National Parks: America's Best Idea and I can assure you it's another good one for Burns. I don't think I've been unhappy with any of his work to which I've been privy.

I had utilized the privilege to enjoy several pints before adjourning to O and I can say that their soundtrack is of significant benefit to the place, conjured up dreams of the days when I fell asleep listening to tunes:

p.s. THE NB CHECKS HAVE ARRIVED MEAGAN!

do the commute

2009-09-20T08:42:00.003-05:00

Since I've returned to the level of health that is needed to run 6 or so miles at a go, on pavement, I often find myself doing just that and as a added benefit I can start at the digs and conclude at the shop. I actually rather enjoy doing this and usually I have enough crap in my locker at the shop that I don't have to take extra things along. However, every once in a while, I do take the running pack along laden with a few clean layers and essentials. Well, on Friday morning I took this route and low and behold I getting so fit that I was actually ahead of schedule when I arrived so, what's a boy to do besides add on. For me that consisted of some lappers on the grass field behind Don Cies Realty (basically only Jordan will know where I'm talking about). Anyway I tossed my pack on the edge of the field next to the alley way that runs behind CVS, Brookhaven Goodyear, etc. Each lap on this thing takes at most a minute and consists of a completely open flat grass lot. I had noticed a car driving down the alley, a well maintained red Toyota Solara, basically the domain of a geriatric hipster, and thinking nothing of it hadn't done anything to take into account who was behind the wheel. Well, you see where this is going... Of course my bag is not residing where it was stowed and I immediately am cursing the entirety of Brookhaven.Sensing someone might still be playing the good samaritan card, I jog out to Robinson to look for this retched auto. I see nothing and am about to head over to OK Runner, when the Solara comes back down Robinson and stops at the light. I immediately notice that there are two guys about my age with mechanics uni's on and a scruffy appearance. Sensing exactly what situation I'm in with short shorts and nary a shirt, I yell over asking where my backpack was. The look at me as the light turns green and proceed on without so much as a word. Well now I've got something to go with. My sister already hates the Brookhaven tire shop because they belittled her in some way and now I'm thinking I could even both our scores and firebomb the place. I'm headed over to the shop as the car cruises back by and one guy innocuously asks if I said something about a backpack, because he couldn't hear what with the brake pads being worn and music playing. So without getting into a debate on why my bag ended up in a car that was neither his, nor mine I ran out in the intersection, grabbed the bag and headed to work.

This tale is one of many great sordid run-ins with people in the last two days who really rekindled my questioning of the quality of humanity that we encounter on a daily basis. May each of you readers find something positive in the interaction you face on this day, because the enrichment you take from strangers or passers by who are of a kindly extraction is so often fulfilling- and just in the opposite manner an asshole can really take the wind out of your sails...

End of rant, I'm running up to the coffee shop and zoning out:

redundant alliteration

2009-09-06T09:16:00.003-05:00

Yesterday marked the 24th annual Brookhaven Run and despite myself not being as fit as I had hoped, I did hit the streets with something around 1100 other folks. All things considered, I was fine with my own performance and I think the race turned out pretty well, despite not being able to quite get the caliber of athlete ready to set a new state record. We ended up closing the shop early in preparation for the big OSU home opener, which was immediately followed by the OU opener in the Jerry-dome. Unfortunately it gave me way too much time to drink way too much beer and thusly I will probably not be as productive on this long weekend as I might of hoped. Hopes are sometimes meant to be dashed and words are sometimes meant to be slurred-

salt in the dugout

2009-08-20T18:02:00.002-05:00

Alot of changes around here these days. Norman is back in business with OU starting up. At the same time it's a little lonely too with the sudden departure of Jordan ( hope all is well, man). It was nice to have a counterpart on the roads and at the shop but the siren song of Charlotte, NC doth beckon. Anyway, my foot is still improving and I hope to be able to return to the roads soon but I'm having a hard time freeing up energy while working at the shop. I intend to keep things as light as possible but there are big shoes to fill. I also am hoping to get a couple projects under way in regards to putting together some training resources for local runners.

Post title refers to the fact that one of salt's many uses is a neutralizing, sterilizing agent, and all around good luck charm meant to shake up the way things have been unfolding, presumably for the better. Evidently such glam sluggers as the Hanshin Tigers have made fervent their belief in such miraculous fixes. In any case, I can use this notion for myself and I know many others can, specifically in the health and fitness department (Meagan), so go ahead and throw a little salt around. I, myself, had a bunch a beers tonight in salt encrusted glasses to start the magic so go ahead and join the ride.

need to wash my my sheets or I will go insane

2009-08-17T10:52:00.002-05:00

Monsoons this morning left things nice and cool for a quick jog and some pet-sitting errands for myself but sabotaged Kinley's workout. I always liked running in the warm rain but if you're raging 4hundos in spikes, I reckon it's best to wait it out. Yesterday, it was around 100 as I put in some biking after dropping my car off to fix a flat and heading east for pet-sitting, I managed to get a decent workout over the hills. The biking makes the heat less noticeable but it subtly rears it's head and I managed to get a bit of a head ache from the sun beating down on my noggin. There was a nice dynamic on Boyd St. as someone laid on the horn at me for riding across the intersection so they had to yield and then not a half mile down the way a nice gal said "Hi" as she walked sown the sidewalk. However, my car did make it back from the shop, the animals were fed and medicated, and I got in a jog on the grass loop since the OU football team continues to hold practice on my beloved rugby field. They have practices that are closed to the public and yet are on more open (and smaller) venues than their typical practice fields. I'll get them back by making use of their conveniently situated Gatorade coolers or something.

I heard a great piece on cheese from NPR, might as well be more in touch with the makings behind one of life's finer delectables. I will try my hand at this mark my words: fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, and maybe something a little more funky. The other big thing here is the fact that contextually cheese utilizes the same basic ingredients, so what would native Oklahoma microbes bring to the table?

google yourself when you get home

2009-08-03T21:39:00.001-05:00

Maybe I'm just the everlasting cynic but I'll continue on with this existence anyhow. I'll go further to add that it breaks my heart to see other, fellow cynics sell out. Case in point, Anthony Bourdain doing a candid ad for Bing.com. Just when I thought I knew the guy he betrays his image for something. Oh but for what cost is the question I s'pose.

My foot seems better maybe, but I'm not running yet. Spenis and I have convened at Lake Hefner a couple times for some laps in the saddle. I continue to enjoy the bike ride to work and just wish there were a little more scenery along the way. I'm always listening to tunes on the bike which may lead to my demise, but it adds some pep and seeing as how KOMA is the official station of OKRunner, it's hard to get much musical interlude any other time. We'll work on that one day at a time...

danced myself right into tune

2009-07-26T12:46:00.000-05:00

It's been a wearying last few days at OKRunner Edmond. We sold alot of shoes out there under the hot sun and brought alot of attention to the store, which will hopefully keep Jerry a bit more busy selling shoes instead of shining the floors. Anyway, in the interest of decompressing, Jerry, Ayuko, Tim, and meself went and had a few beers after loading up Tim's sweet new ride, a U-Haul. After that I proceeded to OKC to join up with Spenis, and of course toast the evening with a shot of Sauza. McNellie's followed then, a visit to the Mini-mart with Mike and Spenis in tow on the way to cheer on Team OKRunner at the Midnight Streak. Against my better judgment we went to Edna's and the smoke and noise basically put the cap on the evening. At some point I passed out in the proximity of Spenis's house and woke up with a rug burn over my back from Benoit dragging me around in the front yard. Spenis was a doll and even made me coffee this morning which we held high in saluting the final day of Le Tour as it concluded down the Champs Elysees. I'm currently enjoying the film Billy Elliot, a BBC production about a working class kid who finds his nontypical calling and in doing so empassions his family and community. I highly recommend it.

getting crushed out on things only I should see

2009-07-22T22:56:00.000-05:00

I'm on one of those late circadian rhythm cycles, which means I'm getting up late and staying up later. It also means I'm riding home from work in the dark more often than not which makes for some interesting scenarios, it's also kind of cool to bike over the interstate in the dark and looking over all the lights in town and the cars streaming along underneath the bridge. There's absolutely no bike shoulder on any of the roads and very few street lights, so when my head light went out yesterday it made for a pretty harrowing ride home but I had an extra incentive to make it home in one piece, Cappuccino Chunky Chocolate.

Exciting news on the music front is Animal Collective gaining access to the Grateful Dead catalog and collaborating with Atlas Sound on new work...and how 'bout a little Floyd to commemorate the 50th anniverssary of the landing on the moon. Appropriately, I've tuned in to see the space station 3 times now and happily so can you, yay.

Hate to drink alone- made a sandwich to go alongside

2009-07-20T23:08:00.000-05:00

Yeah, this is more my style of late. I'm enjoying doing some biking but more in the shorter portioned 2-a-day model, where I try to throw in a few surges, climbs, TT poses- that sort of thing and then wipe the sweat off and go to work for 8hours, and finally repeating the ride back to the house. It never ceases to amaze the disregard I get around town on my bike from drivers, but I haven't gone over anybody's hood yet. I actually really like the idea of grabbing a coffee midway and then finishing the ride out which is what I did last Wednesday and low and behold I was able to do a good deed by rescuing a bewildered dachshund from certain peril and reuniting him with his owner, all while ordering coffee and a danish.

For those readers who are both fans of the Tour and graphic novels (statistical analysis has shown this to be a large subset of my visitors), I thought the VS Epic Cycle bit is kind of interesting and worth visiting if for no other reason than to hear the legends of the tour referred to by their nicknames, ie Bernard "The Badger" Hinault. Science of Sport also had an interesting analysis of Contador's climb up Verbier yesterday, don't you just love real science with all it's potentialities and implications that relate to yesterday's epic ride. Cycling is a unique sport and while I'm no more than a passive rider, I always maintain that I will someday do a recreational bike tour of my own choosing. I think it would be a great way to cover some distance in epic scenery as long it wasn't somewhere that the wind is regularly sweeping down the plains. The other issue of note from this year's tour is of course the absence or any doping, thus far. It's always a little weird to me that it was so rampant in this sport where speed, per se, is not really the issue. That I know of, there is no speed milestone like the 4:00 mile in cycling and while I suppose there may be one in actualy track cycling, really it is more like a cross country race where pace is irrelevant as long as you are at the front of your opponents more often than not.I guess it is the addictive nature of the sport because I really believe more people can be PRETTY good at cycling, with less chance of fallout, burnout, etc like in running. I'm in no way saying that anybody can be a GREAT biker and obviously the time required to ride is much greater anyway, but people will find an amazing amount of excuses to not run like 50 miles per week versus 6-8 hours per week on a bike. I will give a shout out to a known doper and yet indisputable badass who's sentiment seems true in one way, shape or form, maybe with malintent, maybe unwittingly, maybe with purely transcendental hopes.

"Leave me in peace; everybody takes dope."
--Jacques Anquetil

taking coffee and pie with a legend

2009-07-19T23:24:00.000-05:00

My day revolved around coffee and food. It was a restful day away from the store and I managed to finish a yard project long overdue. I am trying my hand at a little landscaping involving a large decorative pot and a lot of rocks. Throw in a water pump and the possibility of aquatic plants and you've got some wild stuff brewing.

This nonstandard type of activity was made possible by my continued lack of running, which has proven to be a necessary precaution in order to be able to walk without MUCH pain and perform normal daily tasks. I have at least been able to sweat a little this week by biking in to work and I think that this week I'm going to alternate the elliptical and the bike. I really haven't done any laudable amount of cross training as far as volume goes because I really couldn't stand aquajogging solo everyday so the first week was bad, but I'm going to push myself a little this week, maybe.

escaped the gallows/ hanging out in Amsterdam

2009-07-08T20:56:00.000-05:00

As I came up with this sweet title, I was tuned into OETA and caught the preview for Okie Noodling II, needless to say I will eagerly sitting in front of the telly tonight. The best quote I heard came courtesy of a ragged, threadbare sage who says: "Noodlin- it's like golf, ya just never can git the hang of it." Ah yes, like life itself I suppose, hand fishing certainly never ceases to challenge our psyche and bewilder our anticipatory powers.

Alright, next point of business, I've fucked up my foot to some degree. What exactly I have done alludes me, but I'm pretty positive it's a stress fracture. While I'm no MD and I do get my intelligence on human anatomy regularly challenged by customers at the store, I have researched extensively and have come upon no other explanation remotely close to plausible for my ailment. I have alot of trouble walking as midway along my 2nd metatarsal is sore to the touch and lightly swollen. I had a dull ache for about a week and a half that got slightly more tender last Friday. Then, when I laced up the flats for an 8k on Saturday I was reduced to a walk quite rapidly beyond the mile mark. I had to walk the rest of the way in and by the time I got back to the car, I was in alot of pain. I haven't walked normally since (insert snide comment here). I will keep my progress posted but evidently these things can resolve themselves fairly quickly. It doesn't even matter if it is a stress fracture becuase as mentioned, it's not a scenario that I can train on at this point. Of more interest to me is how I can prevent this from happening. I've been training pretty hard but I sort of suspect maybe something else is also part of the equation so, when I get back to it, I may have to reduce the density of the training a little and get more consistent sleep, but diet may have to be considered. It's funny because I was feeling much more capable as of late compared to a month ago doing the workouts, but I've had some kind of poor results as of late despite doing some of my best quality work ever. I'm frustrated but more in disbelief.

My rudimentary philosophical know how centers alongside Locke's tabula rasa theory, maintaining "people are born without innate ideas, and that knowledge is instead determined only by experience derived by sense perception." I will question my own approach and recount the drama. We are "shaped by experience; sensations and reflections being the two sources of all our ideas" and (back to noodling parallels) "after this noodling is a thrill-seeker's sport and if you can't stand a little pain you're in the wrong business." -Skeeter Bivins, multi-time OKie Noodling Champion

Get along little doggy, get along

2009-07-03T10:46:00.000-05:00

Training has been going pretty well, all things considered. As of late I've hit the track several times this summer and have put out some good efforts. This week, we did quarters which is something pretty foreign to my training log as of the last 4+ years. I ran alot of 71's before pushing out a 68 and trying to maintain :60 200 recovery jogs. After that, I got back to 71-72 before battening down on the last 6 or so and running 69-70.It was a good workout for me and I should be able to revisit this type of effort and gauge improvement. I am definitely doing a little tight rope walking as far as health so I aim to maybe take an easier week here and there to just run miles. Anyway, working at the running shop has been fun for the most part and I am looking forward to instituting a optional snowcone evening run next week, which could potentially mean either we run over to the snowcone stand or, in some other individuals, thinking may just include an ice cold beer mid run. Either one is fair game.

Cultural outings have been held to a minimum as of late, but I did manage to make a quality summer yellow curry last night, more on the lighter side of things with lots of keffir lime. Furthermore, today I made it to a matinee showing of Public Enemies. It was a good film, not great, but I like the glorification of the tommy gun and modern day robin hood theme.

while you were out

2009-06-09T17:52:00.000-05:00

It seems I've taken hiatus so time to get back at it. Had a fine weekend participating in the StuCat wedding in Enid. We managed to consume some alcohol, despite the early concern to the contrary. I was hoping to record a PB at the Knot Trot but the ensuing gamesmanship and jangled nerves allowed Stu and Cat to get away from me in the last quarter mile. Oh well there's always next year, right? Enid actually impressed me as there was no indication that the place was going drying up and blowing away. We found a couple nice eateries and bars and more importantly, the dirt roads made a pretty excellent training venue for a Sunday 16 miler. I even had a great time chasing tail all the way home from the bars on Saturday night, if only it weren't runner girls who set a mean pace all the way back to the hotel. It did offer a great opportunity to return my tux in a highly compromised state that made to attendant question what the hell I did in the thing.

I'm unhappy to note the intended closing of Will Rogers State Park by the state of California. Hard to believe that this place was a burden on the economy, as they charge entry to the park, and host polo matches from uppity townships who would no doubt be willing to pay a hefty sum for a place to swing the mallet.

ride the wave

2009-05-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

I hit the track this morning for some work. It was another nice morning but I can't imagine the humidity abating for long. Jordan and Meagan had matching workouts of 4-8-12-16-16-12-8-4 w/ 60 second rest. The paces prescribed were quick and I didn't run great but I tried to hang with Jordan on the middle reps. I should hopefully be able to substantially improve on my efforts this morning and maybe feel better doing it. I did something like a 200-500-1100-800-1600-1200-600-200, I wasn't happy with missing out on the first 1600 but I had to break for the restroom and I at least touched on some faster paces on the other reps. The recovery made it a pretty honest effort and I at least was able to sneak below 5:00 pace. My goal for the summer is breaking 15:00 so we'll see what happens.
The picture above is my uncle's digital rendering of a wave complete with a frigate bird. I think he used only Adobe throughout the process.

one fine day

2009-05-17T21:08:00.000-05:00

Superb weather for the weekend- pretty much uncharacteristic late May stuff in Oklahoma with low humidity and cool, sunny temps. On Sunday Jordan, Meagan, and yo headed to the Oklahoma River to investigate the scene at the Boathouse International Triathlon. There was elite competition on Saturday but Sunday featured the amateur race. We saw Trey Vernon finish in first, but the results indicate a different guy winning which is kind of the downfall of a race with staggered starts and circuit courses for all three disciplines, making it pretty easy for someone to skip a lap or just have a hard time keeping tabs on your competitors. The "long" run was sort of a start and stop affair because we were kind of confused as to how to get around the place and we wanted to stop and at least see how the thing was playing out.
I didn't get to see the state track meet but it seemed kind of slow and other than the freshman girl from Norman winning the 3200 and getting 2nd in the 1600, there was little fanfair surrounding the distance events. The times seem pretty pedestrian and while I don't doubt that it's not vastly different than previous years, I think there is a definite lack of 2 or 3 studs up front that at least make the times rank better with the rest of the country. I offer no excuse for 5A, they are just slow and probably still have a better kick than me. The bright points are some good female sprinters( Midwest City) and field kids right now.
Next, I was excited to see the results of the Jemez Mountain 50K, although I would like to see a shout out to Durant, Oklahoma, not that stagnant cesspool known as Missoula, Montana. This just reinforces the fact that mountain chicks can run, among other things.

and what's more...

2009-05-14T13:02:00.000-05:00

Spenis mandated more music, and music he shall have. Come to think of it, he should probably be named music director of my blog, for it seems like I have come upon way too many annoying obligations lately.

Spence's suggested addendum to my previous blog (I use an old video because it also mentions Zonker Harris day, of which I'm a conscientious supporter... of the cartoon hero):

I counter with:
Neutral Milk Hotel covered by The Apples in Stereo

and...(noting the beer on the table)

And finally, I have a tribute to Trevor Gillum. Unfortunately, I couldn't be in attendance for his epic high altitude, off-road, 50k this weekend. The thing looked cool and I would much rather be there than here this weekend unfortunately a variety of issues have prevented me from modilizing.
"It's all Good" John Lee Hooker as done by Dylan

space junk

2009-05-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

I've been listening to a lot of covers lately, good and bad. I'm typically not a huge fan, simply because there are so many bad takes on great original songs but I suppose it's a show of respect that a band chooses to run with the same toon, now rap and r&b songs where they use the same backbeat, lets not go too far. Some of the more enjoyable takes in my mind are:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs covering "Zero" by Animal Collective (I think the original is better)

The Sounds in My Head did a whole Cure covers show that was pretty enjoyable. I don't care for Death Cab for Cutie, they do get the award for the most unaltered impression, which isn't really doing anything for me and doesn't warrant a post:

Here are The Flaming Lips & Stardeath and the White Dwarfs covering Madonna's "Borderline." sidenote- How many hammer and sickle T's does Ivins have?

Or here is a rendition sans Flaming Lips at our very own Norman Music Fest:

I'm throwing in a few mashups for good measure, to accentuate the "space junk" designation, courtesy of BRAT:
The Beatles vs All Saints - "Baby, You're A Pure Man"

The Cure vs The Commodores - "Easy Heaven"

Billy Joel vs Jay-Z - "Big Shot Pimpin'"

coffee and beyond

2009-05-04T13:28:00.000-05:00

It's a cool, rainy spring day in Norman today and as such I decided to look upon the recent World Barista Champs. This year's edition took place in Atlanta and was won by the UK participant, Gwilym Davies. As each participant is required to prepare an espresso, a cappuccino, and a signature drink, the competition involves both technical and aesthetic factors in addition to the savvy and impulses of the barista. Interestingly, in recent years, some baristas have preferred to get away from the common "espresso roast" and moved towards a more medium roast technique that better showcases the bean. It cracks me up how nervous these people are, I'll chock it up to the caffeine jitters. It's worth noting that the '08 champ from Ireland, Stephen Morrissey, looks exactly like my former co-worker alias Sean Connor... I'm 99% sure it's the same dude.

Jordan and I are going to hit up a slog this evening when each of us get off work, but I think I'll be needing some caffeinated nourishment. Will report back on the quality of the Starbuck's crema.

soup anyone?

2009-05-01T12:32:00.000-05:00

Stumbled upon THIS and it's just silly, it makes my running seem so un-inspired but that's just because we have lame venues in these parts. My goal is to make my running more impressive to watch, at least cough up blood or look good just gliding up a hill. We all know I have no footspeed but maybe I can look impressive from a k out in some 5k until the kickers feel their oats and look really good coming after me.
I've been running a little bit, after taking Monday off, I ran 45' Tuesday, 35 and 35 on Wednesday, 50 and 30 yesterday, and 50' this morning with 15 uptempo(felt king of rough) but it was warm and 95% humidity. My legs feel alright, but my lungs have been a problem, of course it's super humid too. I'm now doped with Singulair AND Symbicort so maybe these will help keep my asthma at bay. It's really hard to simulate the late marathon issues I've experienced so I'm just going to gauge their effectiveness by how many minutes faster I run in a 5k this summer.
This evening we will be gathering for the Lisle/Odell wedding party. I got some fine cutlery for these two lovebirds to christen their love nest. I can only hope that my gift will help each of them learn impeccable dicing, joullianing, and mincing skills. I'm kind of holding out for a sweet butane torch to add to the gift pack, but I don't know for sure if it's in the cards. Just think, you could flame-roast a marshmellow on a moment's notice, sear a freshly caught ahi on the spot, or brulee some creme. I, for one can't think of a single kitchen utensil that can do all those things.

all the clouds form a geometric shape

2009-04-24T14:41:00.000-05:00

Well, the 9th annual OKC marathon has come and gone and I'm left with frustration in it's wake. I knew the day was going to present some obstacles with the humidity and winds and so I did what I could to prevent against those problems but it didn't seem to matter. The first half pace felt really doable, but I sort of felt myself getting a little warm, despite dumping water over my head at every water stop. I could sense a certain amount of futility in the morning's endeavor. Jordan looked good, particularly heading back into the wind along Lake Hefner, which was the last good look I got of him. I want to check out this asthma issue that seems to plague my marathon races, but as with any bad race I mainly let my mood sour my racing vigor. I wonder what would have happened if I would have actually stopped, stretched, and thrown up the excess fluids that seemed to be going nowhere in my stomach. I was kind of afraid that I might stiffen but I don't think my legs ever really got that beat up. Coming back up Classen, the wind was aggressive but not as bad as it could have been as there where hundreds of half marathon walkers buffeting the wind (and the water stations). Skolnick ran with me towards the finish and it was a little tough fighting traffic through the throngs, but at this point I wasn't bitter about losing time, I just wanted to get to the finish. As I turned onto Broadway, my buddy Ben was jogging in with some friends and so he elected to spur me across the finish mat.
It's becoming too common for me to visit the med tent after these things, but I managed to go both light headed and nauseous, and upon vomitting, I was hauled in by Adam Cohen and mainly just monitored by the nurses for a few minutes, with some albuterol, and cold fluids. The body is strange though, the cold water felt great on my head but I started to shiver alot and decided I needed to get out and find the rest of the gang.
There were alot of tired and frustrated folks in our group, but Kat, Stu, and Jordan all seemed particularly buoyed by there performances. I think they were able to stay positive throughout the race, which is huge in a marathon and in some cases surprising things can happen. Unfortunately Jenny Graef was running really well in the lead, but fainted at 22 miles and was unable to recover. I want to see if the weather was particularly rough on thee number of finishers as it sounded like about half the marathoners made it to the end, a stat that seems kind of low. I'll probably throw a few photos on in the next post and glean the more positive facts about the race.

pretty much supposed to taste like a shit sandwich

2009-04-23T12:20:00.000-05:00

I can't help but look towards the weather conditions on Sunday and it seems dicey. But as the title suggests, I think it will bother everyone and hopefully I can work with Jordan and whoever else shows up (pacers are welcome).
Next in the list of scenarios that this title alludes to would be the taste of low-ball alcohol. Now I've shared my sentiment that there can exist some differences in taste for the cost i.e. the Pigs Eye superiority to Keystone or Natty Light options. Yet when one of my patrons come in here and bitches that we aren't carrying her Tvarscki (we do sometimes, but regularly have McCormick's) and that she's "going to have to start going somewhere else" prior to a string of expletives to convey her frustration, I really am not compelled to care. I mean nobody is drinking that stuff by itself for love of flavor, they're masking it with juice. We all know this, don't act like you're a connoisseur if all you're after is the effing buzz.
Finally, I will mention my own frustration with the number of conservative lawmakers bemoaning the "tyranny" of our president and how in danger we are of losing our personal freedoms. This is so ridiculous when we look at the shite we were dealing with not more than a few months ago. The fact that we are suggesting ways to boost the average person's quality of life in this country or smooth ties with nations that have recently been outspoken in their criticism of this country does not make us weak or tyrannical. It sounds like a pretty mature and intelligent code of conduct as opposed to unlawfully jailing people, torturing them, or sending in our troops without the backing of the UN. If you can't be happy in some small way that, at the very least, our former president is out of office, than you've got a pretty morbid sense of the way a country should be run and the example it should set to those that it holds inferior or corrupt.

spur on your horses Kazakhs!

2009-04-21T11:36:00.000-05:00

Alright now, with yesterday marking Patriot's Day, the Boston Marathon of course went down and as usual it was an inspiring feat of humanity. I was amazed to see Ryan Hall streak off the line like he was setting off for a 5k and immediately put the elite contingent on edge. I thought it was unnecessary but I don't really think it significantly affected his race and he may have even weeded out some competitors by starting them off with some discomfort. Ryan Hall ran very tough, but Merga is a beast and there is no shame being around a minute behind him. THe women's race was uninspired but Kara Goucher still was impressive and it bodes well for her future that she has continued to perform consistently well in long races, it just comes down to the day. I just don't believe that she could outsprint the other two flat out so what are her options, especially into a headwind. She may have lucked out but the odds were stacked against her whether she lead for 5 miles or .5 and I assume there would have been a few other kickers around if she hadn't injected the pace and wittled it to 3 contenders.
In any case there were several good races by folks with Oklahoma ties. Tommy Manning now living in CO Springs went big with a 2:26, Chris "Muskrat" McClure ran 2:54, Aja Clark: 3:14, fellow Normanite Justin Lebeau: 3:23, Josh Heimbach 3:27, and Danny Ponder: 3:37. It looked like the wind was tough over the second half of the race and with there only being a few turns, it would have basically meant a constant headwind. I think I will definitely have to return to Beantown for another run someday as it brought me back to the sheer excitement and magnitude of this great event.
Jordan and I fine tuned a little this morning, with a 2x2mi. Splits were quicker than necessary but the morning was perfect and it was easy, as I can't help but wish for in a few days. I'm feeling good though and looking to have a smooth performance.

dame la vaca

2009-04-15T12:55:00.000-05:00

Somehow a Boricua tradition was begun when some presumably inebriated farmer tied his cow up to a tree next to the ocean. As cows are wanton to do, it met its demise when it fell into a water spout. He proceeded to scream at the ocean, "dame la vaca!," demanding the sea return him his prized Bessy. Now I don't know why this tale has been immortalized but I can say that today is indeed $3 burger night at McNellie's and at Kats (?) recommendation we are staging at that most pleasant of locales for a pint and some vaca. The proud and spiritual Boricuan people must know something so I'm going to assume that this is a good move for all involved. If only I had some more of that choice lychee infused Puerto Rican rum that my friend Rose sent me to go alongside this noble burger...
On a related note, I here that the US embargo on Cuba may soon be lifted and that it may be feasible to make a visit to this place. While I'm aware that wasn't impossible to do before as they'll even let Gabe Jennings visit, I think it might be kind of interesting to do as I here it's like taking a step back into the 50's in some ways with old cars and such. Plus I think it's about time the Son Montuno got the respect that it deserves.
Jordan and I topped off a good workout this morning without leaving each other feeling shanked. We did 3x 3mile with 1/2 mile jog averaging around 5:20 pace overall, I think.

spoonful weighs a ton

2009-04-12T19:14:00.000-05:00

In lieu of more enthralling news, I'll opt for the training recap. I've still been fighting off the allergy blues or whatever, so I've been a little under impressed with my training. I went long yesterday and threw in several marathon intensity miles but I wasn't really running the splits I had hoped for, anyway I practiced taking fluids and only had one really bad bear trap like side ache. I think I was needing more fluids anyway as a result of the amount of sinus drainage and the like so I'll of course hope for more inspiring conditions down the road.
I did get another beer in the fermenter, a Dortmunder style Lager. This would be in the pilsner classification, but the yeast that I used was a standard top-fermenting ale yeast so my plan is to lager half the beer in a mini-fridge at 50 degrees and then rest the other half at room temp 70-75 degrees. I will look in to this technique more, but right now I'm calling it an alter-Maibock. It is seasonally appropriate to brew a lightly kilned bock beer during this time, actually traditionally this beer would have been brewed for Lent and since today is Easter, I felt it only fitting to throw this together. Now go eat some Cadbury Eggs...

run like a high schooler

2009-04-09T11:38:00.000-05:00

Jordan and I headed to the mondo oval at Norman High for yesterday's pm workout. It was a nice day, if a bit warm, and so while I wasn't sure what my body was going to be able to manage, it was hard not to get in the running spirit with lots of kids out running around. I was looking for a couple tempo paced segments, maybe like 2 times a 4 mile or something, but upon chatting with Jordan, I opted for something a little shorter, but that was easier to wrap my mind around: 3x 3200 with a steady 800 between. I went 10:29, 10:21, and 10:20 with the rest being covered around 3:15-3:30. I think I may have run an extra lap on the 2nd repeat because I just extrapolated my total time for 7 miles and it indicates as much. The effort was moderately tough, but Jordan mentioned that it was kind of nice to have to keep an eye out for various roves of kids wandering through lane 1 and there were a few close calls, but it kept us from getting too serious and we had to keep our wits about us to get the work done. Jordan lashed a couple quarters and we were both nicely salt-crusted by the time we got done, by which time the track had completely empty and we decided to go for cold beverages and snacks at In The Raw.

burned upon re-entry

2009-04-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

Well my allergies have continued to slight my attempts to train. In fact last night, instead of a training run, I walked over to Petco and Target to get some Pak Choy for my sisters new lizard, Pancake. It was a really nice evening so I hardly even noticed having to walk over the Robinson bridge, enhaling diesel and noxious fumes from the roadway project and through the rutted, sidewalk-free route up to the supposed aesthetically accomodating outdoor shopping plaza, aka strip mall.
I am hoping to avoid digging myself into a hole, so will probably just do a short tempo run with a long warm up and cool down this afternoon while Jordan does some shape-cutting. We're at least going to benefit from being in the same arena as one another, regardless of what stimulus each workout brings. I'm not too concerned about not being able to run an intense quarter workout, but at the very least, I need to have the strength to get out the door for a couple hours. I'm still not sure about total weekly volume necessities for the marathon, but there's no getting around the specificity needed to run the race. Marathon-pace or a bit under is all I'm looking for tonight.

when I run, when I run like a bandit

2009-04-06T15:15:00.000-05:00

As it stands, we are 3weeks out from the marathon and things are going alright. This week I pulled through a funk early on and then felt pretty good throughout the remainder. The weather has been a challenge but mentally and physically but it's probably best this way as we will no doubt encounter some less than perfect race day conditions. On Friday and Saturday, I basically shaped my training around coffee drinking sessions, which was everything I hoped it would be. Finally, Sunday marked the inaugural Redbud Classic bandit workout. On this years installment, Jordan was part of the show to see how a truly well-managed Oklahoma race is conducted. Other than 30 mph sustained wind and 40mph gusts, weather was great and we managed to tack on 2 miles just before the race in 11:0X then ran the 10k in ~32:45 with something like 16:45/16 splits. It was a session that left us feeling pretty good, not all out, and ready for whatever this week holds. This is really going to be the last 14 days of quality workouts, so I will probably just focus on a couple marathon pace efforts, one within a long run and something a little faster. I haven't set up any make-or-break type of workout, and I'm short in the long run department, but I'm a little fresher than previous training blocks so we'll see whether there is some residual strength from long runs past. Plus, let us not forget that I've got the wise and crafty veteran moniker on my side.
In other news, we have confirmation on a James E. Mcnellie's Pub going in on Main St. in Norman. This is great news, but it's also going to make it harder for me to get my own public house off the ground. The owners of this group are some savvy folks and it's great to see the rapid upgrade, relatively speaking (compared to how long it had sat idle) of the downtown Norman area.

mash-ups are for kids

2009-04-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

On this fare morn, just after 6:30am CST, Jokin and I set out from our respective abodes for a 2+ hour sojourn. I had stashed a couple bottles of carefully measured and primed elixir last night and Jordan brought the GU so we were not without electolytes or calories for what ended up being a decent run. First we logged a couple miles around campus with a pit stop at the union, then it was on to greener pastures, cedar lane to 48th with a quick tour of one of the neighborhoods before bringing it home on Lindsay with some quicker miles and a few laps on the track. There were definitely some positives on this run: good company, proper fluid intake, and plenty of practice for OKC(start time, wind, and cheering spectators i.e. cows). As I sit idle at work, I can say that my stomach is not particularly upset thanks to better hydration, and although I will no doubt be looking for a nap in a few hours, I think it was well worth the effort of getting up well before the sunrise.

but Vizzini says...

2009-03-30T16:16:00.000-05:00

This spring has been marked by some non-standard training preparations for me. The highly intense and typically short workouts I had been doing were not ideal for marathon preparation, but they got me back in the game and ready to get going. I have now been trying to build into some endurance work, with variable returns. After failing to get the effort in that I wanted, I came back on Tuesday with the old double barrel workout. I did a moderate progression type run of 90ish minutes then came back that evening with a 45 minute steady run and then some half marathon pace efforts in the form of 3minutes on/ 2 jog on the roads. I didn't force the pace so my first few were more in the 2:45 range but then I was able to start turning the legs over with the same effort and my last couple were more in the 2:35 range. I only managed 8 due to rising stomach discomfort. All this ended up being a marathon in volume for the day. I did the second run all in flats too. Then the funk set in.
I have definitely still been looking to fully recover and in addition, my spring allergies have gone wild. I don't usually get the full on runny nose stuff, I'm more of an asthma, dizzy-head kind of respondent. I'm just getting into the Singulair, but I'm a little concerned that this stuff will effect my spring racing as it's is what I believe limited my Boston performance last year and oh lets see my whole high school career. I'm testing myself by doing what I would not classify as ideal but I'm no Sicilian genius, and a few speed bumps don't necessarily mean I drank the poisoned wine, right.
If I can get to feeling better, this should be a fun week as Jordan and I did 2x 3 mile this morning in the wind and then there is a potential race weekend with either the Frensley 5k or a possible Redbud bandit appearance(gotta keep the streak alive). The forecasted high winds from now until the next 2months are crappy, but I think if I just get my hands on a turkey leg from the Medieval Fair, things will appear in a much more favorable light.

no kill policy

2009-03-24T13:04:00.000-05:00

Winds remain unceasing, whereas yesterday I opted for the treadmill in the morning because I was unmotivated and still a bit lethargic after the weekend, today I went outdoors. I don't think it was actually as windy as yesterday evening, when I basically watched it go from sunny to questionably swirly cloudy. John has jumped on the treadmill bandwagon and searched out capable locales in B'ville. I must say that I curiously felt pretty good yesterday afternoon after a morning running easy with some inclines thrown in. The treadmill provided more cushioning than the roads would have and I think it allowed for a little more recovery due to less pounding. I'm going to continue to utilize this curious machine and see what I think of its effects on the fitness. And yes my indignation has subsided since I found out about this guy's use of the 'mill. I did end up running a kind of marathon effort thing this morning, although I have no idea how fast I was going because I ran 5 miles into the wind pretty easy to start and then the next 7 or so were quicker with the wind at my back for the most part. I guess I'm going to track it up for a 5k this Saturday. I'm not real psyched for it but I'll at least try to not be super dead-legged.

There's a wealth of beer realted podcasts on itunes but they're a little tedious and long-winded. I think that people have this tendency to go a bit long becuase their a group of people who like to expound on a topic. SOme of the new music podcasts get so dull because these guys are just carrying on a conversation and while I understand that the better reviewed shows are ramblings and musings that people find entertaining, I think they would do well to keep it brief and on a predetermined topic. Something like the Wine Spectator video podcast is much more concise and to the point. I guess I'm not as big of a fan of the talk radio type of podcast. The evolution of these types of shows is definitely the video podcast, because part of the experience is visual not just taste or oral sentiment. The Craft Brew Radio Feed is alright, although I wasn't impressed by their chocolate knowledge, in a pairing episode.

mighty lizards ruled the sky...

2009-03-23T12:11:00.000-05:00

Recap of weekend:
Stu/Kat, Spenis and I met up for a jog on Friday then packed up the Rodeo, poured some road sodas and high-tailed it to Tulsa for an abbreviated stay. Upon arrival, burgers were consumed and some quality ball tossing with Marley filled out the evening. I was pretty bushed, with some residual soreness from Thursday's tempo run with Billy, but the legs felt capable of some pacing duties for Stu's assault of the K9K. I didn't sleep great, but woke to good spirits from the crew and the laying down of a gauntlet between Mike and Stu about who could finish their respective races in less time (Mike ended up finishing his 5k in ~27:XX, so we owe him beer next time). Stu and I felt decent and slipped through 5k in 16:45 after having to run through the fun runners with kids and dogs (a little kid and another runner collided further back, marking yet another instance of ill-advised course direction). Carrot-top was a pleasant addition to the chase group for a while, before fading a bit to run 17:03. Stu and I definitely picked it up for the last 4k but I'm dubious of the accuracy of the course. In any case Stu never ceases to impress as he hasn't been doing any workouts, just some long runs with Kat, who also ran very well to garner 1st in the ladies division. Kyle King, in arm warmers and fresh from temporary retirement?, slaughtered everyone to take home $100.

On Sunday, I got up way too early to head up to the city to run on the marathon course and hopefully take a good whack at 20 miles. Unfortunately, I never caught up with Jerry who rolled out at the start. It was dark for the first half of the run and I could never even tell if he was in front of me. I also managed to run off course and miss water stops until ~16miles in which was bad because I had some stomach issues and was needing the fluids. I had to make a couple pit stops, slow down and regroup before being able to cruise in at a decent pace. I actually tried some pretzels at the one aid station i did find and surprisingly they went down pretty well. I was in one of those moods where the sugary sweet GUs tasted horrible and I think the sodium along with water was all I really needed. I'm not sure what I ran but I think it ended up being around 20 miles and despite having stomach issues, I persevered and felt better coming in to the finish. My body really didn't feel horrible afterwards, I was just dead from the lack of sleep over the past few days. It's hard to translate what a hard 20 would have felt like but I think I can at least cover the distance without causing myself serious harm so maybe I will go for a 26.2 mile tour of OKC in 5 weeks.

early morning treble

2009-03-18T17:56:00.000-05:00

Following some low-key alms in the name of St. Paddy yesterday, I was ashamedly pretty useless this morning. I've been having trouble sleeping solidly through the night for a variety of reasons, but in any case I rolled out go see the phlebotomist. Needing to regather, I hit Plaid for a quick hit of caffeine and pastry, then forged on to OTR, to open the store and sneak in a run. Still catching up from the weekend in Dallas, I had a dece time and got about the right amount of imbibment in, without incident. I felt so free- being able to go buy my beer at whatever grocery store was available and stocked with respectable offerings. They do still have dry counties interestingly, so at the county line not more than a few miles from downtown Dallas, there are like 5 stores conspicuously toeing the boundary. I managed to get in a nice long run at whiterock and also logged a few miles on Ardmore Lake Road, both coming and going. Ging and I smoked some dry rubbed chickens and I successfully avoided veggies for the whole duration in exchange for grease and fry oil. I think I'm doing something at the end of the week into early next week, potentially heading to T-town, so if any loyal readers see this, make me an offer I can't refuse. Otherwise I'll be running, drinking coffee on campus, and enjoying what will hopefully continue to be splendid weather.

we're all just combustible substances burning and consuming ourselves

2009-03-10T11:39:00.000-05:00

The ironic truth about respiration and, in relation to exercise: the more oxygen we can consume and therefore fan the flame hotter and higher, the bigger the VO2max and the more we can detroy ourselves. I hit the miles pretty good this past weekend but was pleased to score a 77 on my post-test session on Monday. My body is feeling the increased workload lately, and a little more sleep really would hit the spot. I'm racing a 5k in Dallas this weekend and then hanging out to watch the St. Patty's day parade on the Greenville with a cooler in tow. I will be looking to hit a long run on Sunday at Whiterock Lake to keep the spring buildup in line. I hope to be ready for some longer racing, maybe a 1/2 marathon, maybe a full, maybe an ultra before the summer heat sets in.

I think sometimes waiting is a good thing

2009-03-05T12:29:00.000-06:00

$3 burgers at McNellie's last night with a good crew including Sacker, Kristi, Mike, Stuey, Jordan, Spencer, Jerry, and yo. We had our first opportunity to try a couple beers from the Coop brewery, the newest local brewery. I was mightily impressed, they were truly flavorful beers and I look forward to their additional offerings, in addition to the Native Amber and Belgian Style Golden Ale we encountered.
I would say it was a pretty relaxing day by all accounts, as soon as the highly abrasive 14mph treadmill workout was completed. Jordan and I were trying to imagine what this intensity would be like for a legit miler/5k type and we were basically calling it like a 5x800 w/ 1' recovery at like 1:52-4 or something. I imagine it can be done but I don't know if even the guys that have more leg speed than I do would be able to actually complete the workout, because of the recovery. I thought I would be able to do 2' on the last repeat but once I went over the tipping point, I just couldn't recover, so 1:38 was the longest I held out. I'm eager to see what this is going to translate to for a 5k, because it's such a different preparation than I've ever done. I'm concurrently getting fit in other respects, but it's been nice to utilize speed work without having to worry about footing and left turns. I've heard about a few different individuals who endorse training on the treadmill, either to make use of the incline and speed functions or just to forsake an absense of conducive venues.

I'm so sorry I came in late this evening, all the clocks around town had died

2009-03-03T21:55:00.000-06:00

I had some fatigue in the quads this morning, which I didn't really expect because yesterday was a medium day on the treadmill, but I've been stringing together some good days and every once in a while the quality takes it toll. I feel generally good though running the miles right now. I did just that this evening, but made the mistake of eating the darko choco bar prior to and paid the price at about the hour mark. Stomach started talking to me but I made it home, only felt rubbish on the few strides I actually pulled off. It was a very windy afternoon, but temps were great and I bumped in to Jenny Graef and legged out some miles in good company, after we stopped to let her new pooch out for a whiz.
I got into my promo beer this evening, my version of pepto, I had the Southampton IPA and Gordon Biersch Golden Bock. The IPA needs more IBUs albeit having a nice floral aroma, it lacks some punch and the bock was sweet scented and curiously higher alcohol but sort of low on anything seriously laudable, a session beer for sure.
The weeks are passing in a blur this spring and I'm hoping to start hitting some diversion. I really fucked up with this ticket, so I can't travel as much as I was hoping, but I'm getting something in and in a couple months things are going to be exciting with races and hopefully other events. I'm really pissed that the Norman Music Fest is the night before the OKC marathon but I'll do my best to catch something memorable. Maybe I'll even get to some of that decision making I've been putting off...

Funkhouser Testimonial

2009-02-28T21:03:00.000-06:00

Had to attend to some court proceedings yesterday, amounting to a little inflation of the old blood pressure. It was all fun and games while we sat in on a fairly serious case but then when we had to jump up and down a few times while the judge entered/exited on a whim. All very exciting. The lessons learned outweighed the penalties inflicted. Such as: don't get in a brawl in a casino with a casino guard, don't jump town without paying the bail-bondsman and then come back to town and get arrested, etc.
The title of the post actually refers to the Curb Your Enthusiasm marathon I've settled into tonight. Larry David IS George Costanza. At first you get annoyed by him, but then he gets in your head like a jingle- CO-Stanz-A. AND I like his thoughts on the weatherman, their a front building over the land spewing bs.
Regardless of this crap weather, I got a good jog in with my buddy Jason, there's no way I was tough enough to run 90' outside solo, but it was very doable with some company. I was a little beat up from yesterday, so it was all about easy miles today. I think the foot is good to get in some longer runs but I'm glad I stayed away from the Beacon On The Bay 25k, although some hardy folks participated, Jenny Graef won the ladies division and I'd say she's looking good for a OKC title defense.

in the weeds

2009-02-26T18:32:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow is the most intense treadmill session to date, kicking off at 8am. If you're unclear basically what my spring running campaign has been based on, I'm taking this supplement, Gametime, prior to my workout which contains a few stimulants, some protein synthesis stuff, artificial sweeteners, and some mushroom derivative that has yet to be fully explained to me. This thing is so clearly destined for weight lifters and their ilk, because it is lacking in carbs and sits kind of heavy on the stomach. I usually have to use the restroom immediately upon ingestion, as it triggers some digestive reflex, but otherwise I'm on board with it man, if it just came in more exciting fruity flavors. I need to get in a good one tomorrow and then I'm willing to basically can the intervals, because I don't really care about running faster than 4:20 mile pace, it ain't going to happen and it's pretty severe on the old hammys right now. I admit I like the treadmill though and I actually have decided that it's a valuable training tool, for incline training and the like.
I put in some easy running up on the grass track with Solomon, who is really keen on getting to the bottom of this whole training thing. He's a smart kid and it really frustrates me that he has to put up with the Norman North coaching staff, it's like a hazing period, if you get through it and decide you still are sane and want to run, than you can do it on your own or in college. Problem is none of these coaches are producing a capable runner, out of high school. These kids have such a long ways to go that further serious running is going to take a seriously committed and cooky individual. I almost want to start some team that would provide a sound, committed training environment and then just hit the roads and track unattached. I actually seriously contemplated quitting track numerous times in high school because I didn't trust my coaches or enjoy the training atmosphere, but poor little Scotty perservered somewhat and will live to fight the good fight.

while trying to restructure my character...

2009-02-25T17:03:00.000-06:00

I'm still kind of lacking in the long run department, but on other fronts the training is pretty strong. I'm neglecting the tempo runs a little, and I don't have much choice for the next couple weeks but all of the sudden Jerry has put this bug in my ear about the 10k at the Kansas Relays. I'm not sure how realistic it is to do the full thing, maybe just pacing duties. I am leery of running 25 laps and 50 left turns but it's a possibility. I finally got my day off today and it has been ideal. I got in a medium interval workout on the treadmill and then headed outside for a steady 6 mile cooldown, which tested the fuel reserves a bit. I was pretty famished by the time I hit Plaid, but their peanut butter/Choco granola bar and El Salvadorian coffee got me through. I am curious why it is the tendency to light roast a lot of the centro american varieties. It leaves them very beany.
Probably more interestingly, I was getting out for a run in the evening and I happened to look up over the rugby field and there was a bald eagle soring overhead. I'm not sure if it was checking out the fisheries ponds or something, but it was pretty odd. THen after I finished up, and was standing outside stretching in the twilight, I saw a really nice shooting star. It wasn't even fully dark and I caught this thing. About to head out for my shakeout, maybe more surreality awaits...

this wilderness up in my head

2009-02-14T13:56:00.001-06:00

It looks like I've let a week get away from me without blogification so here goes- Training was nice. I've been able to get in some doubles, mainly because I need an easy jog in the afternoons after I do these treadmill tests but as long as I stretch and stuff, I've been feeling good enough. I'm running pretty steady on my runs and as a result having a little trouble building the duration of my runs, but the fitness is coming along and I'm not that concerned with an official long run at this point. I got a nice run in with John on Monday, hit the Vo2 on Tuesday, where I went significantly farther on the test, but got a lower reading than last time, 74. The ex phys kids were threatening to increase my critical velocity to 4:00 pace but I told them that was ridiculous and they relented. I backed that up on Wednesday with 2 minutes at 14mph, big break, then 21 minutes at 5:10 pace, which took some concentration but I could have knocked out a few more minutes. I'm curious to get back my bloodwork as it took place before any real training began and so should be a good baseline indication. I hit the grass track on Thursday afternoon on what was really a glorious day, the sun on the tall grass prairie was metallic and the wind seemed to die throughout the run. This is a pretty good run and I can go back and forth between the grass and the bike path and north base. I bumped into Solomon Tsegay, a Norman North kid who is really getting into running but unfortunately a senior. He's Ethiopean and I think he could be really good, but he's only now getting some fitness, under the tutelage of a one Sallah Hussein.

I had the 6th grade kids on Friday, which was the defacto Valentine's Day celebration at the public schools. I was really impressed by the tonnage of sugar I saw a couple 80 pound kids consume. It was non-stop and I knew I was in trouble as they had already tapped into the mainline by second hour. I, myself, got a quality amount of cupcakes and red 5 into system, but was unscathed after a 55 minute jog. Ms. Christy Kenkel's 25th b-day was yesterday as well and so I hit the city for the Iguana Lounge pork carnitas and tequila. I didn't wake up seeing red, fortunately, but was probably a bit compromised for my treadmill workload this morning. I did something like 3:30 at 13.4mph, then 2k at 12.9mph. I felt tight and the heart rate was through the roof. Feeling sorry for myself, I hit plaid for their namesake confection, the plaid bar, which is pretty much butter and dark chocolate. I could not finish it, which I was a little upset over. Room for improvement...

the choicer bits

2009-02-08T21:38:00.000-06:00

This will be the blog post for the day dealing with things other than my trepidation regarding the ex phys. research project. Jordan and I went up to see the Oscar nominated short films at the OKC art museum. This was the 3rd year I've caught these films and there are usually some pretty memorable pieces this year was kind of a disappointment. We missed a couple of the animated shorts, which marked the first half of the grouping, before we headed to McNellie's for a interlude and a pint. We missed Oktapodi and Lavatory Lovestory .

Have I ever told you guys the story of how my great-grandfather came up with the name for the USC mascot. His name was Owen Bird and he was a journalist for the LA times sports beat. He actually was also a trackster formerly, though of the sprint variety. Anyway, the story is alluded to here. I bring this up because although I dreaded nearly every minute that I watched of the Grammy's, the few minutes involving Radiohead and the USC marching band were well worth it. I found it really amusing how unceremonious the announcers were for the band and how the band was not given a role. I assume this is in rebuke to the various ways that the band has shown there dilike for the music business, as it stands, and how they have chosen to take an alternative path. I applaud them for still showing up to the awards, despite what some characterize as a sell out move. I don't fault them and think it reputable of them to still perform, in a creative and moving manner, given the shite that I had seen from other acts.
Final props go to performers of the week. Meagan running a hefty 5k pr at the Armory, Jacob EFFING Boone going sub 4, and Jerry for getting OK runner of the year.

tore up

2009-02-08T19:34:00.000-06:00

I am really questioning my participation in the research study. My legs are quite sore and at this point I'm really just hoping not to injure myself. This could easily happen when you hop on a treadmill going 14mph and sprint without any real progression into the act. The woodway is a pretty nice piece though and it's interesting to get alot of feedback on my capabilities as a runner. The head professor got really jazzed that he was able to show me how to use the treadmill at high speeds and tell me that if I only do some intense workouts, I will all of a sudden become an unstoppable runner and start winning all those races I was losing in the finishing sprint. It's hard not to accommodate his thinking but he hasn't considered the fact that I have in fact tried to do such training when I was younger and I'm a much better runner now without the aid of such training mainly because I just don't respond really well to that type of training. If I were going to set up a program with touching on these speeds, they would be much more controlled and progressive than these, which are essentially all maximal and therefore presenting a high risk of injury.

My recent performances (on successive days)
were 90 seconds a@ 14mph, 16 minutes @ 11.7mph, 3 minutes at 13.4mph, 5 minutes at 12.7mph. I was really sore by the second day and in the 15 minutes between efforts, when they were using the treadmill for another test, I stiffened up and was in agony for the first 2 minutes of my next trial. The same tests will be repeated next week under the influence of Gametime, a pre-workout supplement with creatine, amino acids, etc. all the things that an endurance runner needs (and wants) to be consuming 20 minutes prior to a workout.

running in greener pastures

2009-02-05T21:19:00.000-06:00

So things have been perking up for me lately. There's a certain springtime feel in the air and my foot is feeling better, maybe on the mend. I was really chipper this morning running through Norman's rift valley. Yeah, just jogging past the fields of bright green winter wheat and quarter horses. I even had a good group of canines join the mix for a while.
I've signed on with my latest University coordinated performance study. Lets see last time I did one of these... I remember laying in a cold shower with my feet elevated, 15 pounds lighter due to excessive sweating and vomiting. Skolnick and I usually try to leave it on the court in these types of engagements. Anyway, I'm going to be putting in some good efforts on the new Woodway at OU and getting a blood profile. I think it will be a nice lead-in to a hopefully healthy spring and I can get used to sweating before the warm weather sets in. I'll go ahead and mention the fact that I've had a couple other prior heat episodes at hot early spring races.
Pho and spring rolls were on the training table last night courtesy of Pho Sooner and I had a little tripe and tendon added to the medley. The place has been around for a few years now but definitely expanded the menu since the doors were opened. I also lit up the grill this eve and cracked the dreaded rauchbier. I think the beer is going to turn some people off, but I remain upbeat about it's chances as a palatable offering and I think it's particularly effective alongside a smoky, salty entree or maybe a smoked gouda.

Here's the news, I am the muse

2009-01-25T15:17:00.000-06:00

A good leisurely weekend has been had. The weather has cooled down from our balmy 70 degree temps of last week, but the wind also died down after Friday and so I hit the bike for a mini bar crawl last night going Library/NY pizza/ Blu. A good crew was on hand but the town was pretty quiet and so there is not much debauchery to report. I think that I probably wisely turned down a dance party invite, but I probably would have had more to blog up had I attended and maybe that's what matters more than my hangover quotient. I will note that my morning of dim sum was a great success. I had lots of shrimp dumplings, spring rolls, egg rolls, sweet dumplings, sticky rice and jasmine tea. Also of note, they were offering a Chinese New Year cake. Seeing as how we are leaving the year of the rat and moving forward into oxen times, I think this year will be full of toil and good yields. The cake was interesting. If you know anything about Asian sweets, they tend to not be really sugary sweet. They can be very confusing to Western tastebuds. The cake was like a starchy pan fried gummy bear. It had a nice little crust, a lightly sweet taste which proceeded to get sweeter and more fruity as you chewed it. Kind of fun and now I'm ready to plow into the new year

V.V.S.O.P.

2009-01-23T14:18:00.000-06:00

Today marks the 26th year of my existence. My title is typical of a cognac designation (very very special old pale) and yet it strangely applies to me as well. I read somewhere that the 21st of January, not the 23rd luckily, is supposed to be the most unhappy day of the year. I know that my birthday, almost without fail, tends to be cloudy and cold, and accordingly the weather is taking a plunge as I sit tending shop. Luckily, I was able to get some very crucial face time in with the boys at Plaid this morning, and the coffee is just going to tide me over until I get my second wind sometime this evening.
I'm going to give the Grand House a whirl tomorrow. It's been a while since I've had dim sum. I'm a sucker for steamed dumplings and actually had a great experience outside of St. Louis and then San Fran, naturally. Tonight, I may end up going Asian as well, maybe sushi, but not before a couple leisurely pints.
Speaking of pints, my obligatory malt beverage reference involves me bottling my rauchbier until the wee hours of last night, raging to jazz beats. I wasn't happy after finding that the lock-caps they gave me at the shop for my chic blue-glass bottles were ill-fitting and therefore unusable for this batch. Anyway, I got the smoke beer divvied up and it clearly had some uniquely strong caramel and woodfire aromas. We'll see how it tastes in a few weeks.

Addendum: As I've been spending my day at the shop, I've seen maybe 20-25 people today and had real conversations with maybe 2, well this dude just walked in 10 minutes before my shift ended and he is pre-occupied, I actually was wondering if I was going to get robbed because he stood at the door for a while with his hand in his pocket but anyway he says he was checking out the starching options at the cleaners. Yeah, this is not somebody who you imagine starching his wears. Anyway, he asks about the beer I point him that way. He grabs a 40 and comes up and says something like man today's my birthday, to which I naturally mention my own inception on this day in 1983. Turns out he is exactly the same age as I am. Weird, wild, stuff...

coyote qiuera empenadas

2009-01-20T20:39:00.000-06:00

The Dallas weekend extravaganza has come and gone and I've mixed emotions about it. I got to hit the King Tut exhibit which was more like just a general Egyptian royalty from 2 millenia ago. There were some amazing pieces that I could go on and on about but overall it seemed like they were showing us the B circuit. The place was also way overbooked, I felt like we were being extorted and then herded around. I will say that it gave me an even higher appreciation for the pomegranate, being in that it is carved in the gold coffin of Tut's grandmother.
Let's see... we hit countless shops and I endured my sister's rigid scheduling of all things pertaining to indulgence. I got a massage at the Spa at the Cresent which was pretty excellent, if not awkward because my masseuse was oh so capable and how can it not be somehow overly personal when you're nude and being worked on by a fit, healthy chick. Maybe I was just a little off because of the birthday champagne they served me or the bloody marys I had before that. Actually the only true complaint is that I was not going to be able to make this a habit and that I knew my IT Band was going to be sore despite the steam sauna/jacuzzi/ice whirlpool treatment I gave it afterward. I limped out of the joint and had a coffee out on the patio reading the Sunday Times and chatting with the sweet waitress. How does the other half live?

The next epic was of course the Texas de Brazil experience. This place is pretty severe in all things meat. Not to mention thet have a hors d' ourve bar that is out of this world. I had things like marinated portabellos, smoked salmon, grilled provelone, 5types of olives, lobster bisque, feijoada (Brazilian national dish). I rated the Lamb chops the best meat I had, over the filet mignon, prime rib, flank steak, bacon wrapped filet, parmesan chicken. My stomach was a bolling ball for the next 12 hours, but I was in ecstasy and I out-ate all takers, which is most important.

The weather was really excellent all weekend, making for some good outdoor activities- jogging, eating&drinking, watching pretty people. I am planning on heading back for St. Patricks Day weekend to hopefully run a 5k on the Greenville, grill out, and pee on parade floats. Yes, I could do that here, but something beckons in Dallas now that I've been down there a few times. It must be said that there are some nice areas and respites whose absenses are starkly apparent in Norman and OKC.

Just to the Right

2009-01-16T10:27:00.000-06:00

That would be the theme for last night's outing to OKC with der boys. The trend of feeling off continues to overwhelm and I can't help but chalk it up to the "smorgasboard effect." Contemporary wisdom tells us that fusion is all the rage and who am I to blow against the wind? At some point however, I think that can lead to an assemblage frought with gastronomic peril and, worse, something that gives little Scotty D a tummy ache. Cue the scene, we had put down a few stouts and pale ales prior to departure from Stu's. I, of course, was lauded for my incredible driving ability over the perhaps 2 mile route to Cheever's. Upon arrival we ordered a couple bottles of vino and some apps. I think this is where the trouble began. The first combo would be the Malbec/Hummus/Fried Calamari/Pinot combo only to be outdone by the proceeding Merlot/Nacho/Pecan, Chocolate,& Ice Cream Ball conglomeration. Stu knew something was up and opted for a jog back to the house where everybody pretty much watched the Office while I had to purge the system. It's kind of disconcerting when you suffer for your passions which are: running (which left me dehydrated), beer and wine (which left me with a sulfite headache), and food. While I certainly didn't overeat (it was hard to even really get any food because eating with this group is like dining with a pack of lions), I somehow managed to combine elements that should not be and yet I survived and was able to share the experience with good buds. Posterity is important to me, I think.

Write it off

2009-01-15T13:13:00.000-06:00

Going up to Cheever's this evening. THe place is quality and I will be eating lightly, just enough food to go with a couple glasses of wine. I wish that I could put my alcohol charges on the expense report for On The Rocks as "product research." Maybe the higher ups would go for it if they realized that our wine orders have been made in large part by connections made by moi as a result of genuine interest in the product and not its direct monetary gain for the store, as that will obviously come if you do a good job of promoting your wine and impressing upon people some sort of competence and outgoing passion for orientation through the wine industry. I'm getting pretty tired of explaining to customers why I can't help them or why our guarantee holds no water.
On the bright side, I'm going away to Dallas this weekend for what I'm sure will be both a fun and frantic weekend. My mom and sister are the true organizers of this operation so I will undoubtedly by moderating their hijinx at various times. We have plans to go to the Tut exhibit, buy copious food, beer, and wine that we can't get here, and I think there will be a Texas de Brazil epic.
Speaking of epics, I have attached some sweet pics from this summers Colorado excursion. Bill, Catherine, Kyle, and I hit southwest CO for some action. We camped, ate lots of chocolate and drank lots of beer. I was really effing fit and I did some long runs in the high mountains which were probably a bit much. The lake pic was at 10,000 ft or so and I did a 2:30 run where I literally thought my testicles were not going to make it. The main artery in each groin like seized up or something on this steep incline and I think I may have compromised some as yet un-needed capability.

demand better beer

2009-01-13T11:45:00.000-06:00

I have in front of me the potential to carry the best beer in Norman, maybe Oklahoma. The easiest way to stock the best beers is to search by the country of origin and pick up all that say Belgium. I'm sorry to all those that disagree and while there are great beers throughout the world, this is easily the best and most varied beer culture. I have the Eagle Beers catalogue which is pretty hot. The problem is that I don't the authorization to order said awesome beers and it's unclear whether I will get it. What I need you, my lovely reader, to do is stop in and suggest that maybe we carry some of these choice offerings. You needs are covered as there are options covering the gammut. If you like a lighter beer, suggest the Witterkerke, Blanche De Namur, Petrus Blonde, or Konigs Hoevens Dubbel. Middle of the road offerings include Tilburg Dutch Brown, Tripel Karmeliet, Konigs Hoevens Trippel, or Kwak. Finally, there are the heavy hitters that are best served after the day has wound down. Go with the St. Bernardus Abt 12, Urthel Samarath Quadrium, or the Rochefort 10.
I will also be pushing for equal opportunity representation for some of my other favorites, from sources both domestic and abroad. I am eager to get in some better English stouts as well as some domestic Imperial Stouts, which make for great wintertime fare. Whatever you drink, remember that these beers are antiquity themselves, characterizing the areas and cultures from whence they originate. They ingredients are basically the same, but the smallest of differences (yeast and hop strain, grain kilning, temperature, etc.) make for some pretty miraculous variations.

**ART this afternoon, jog at Hefner; long weekend in Dallas coming up

I'm with cochise

2009-01-12T12:51:00.000-06:00

Sunday was a big day as the weather was superb in central Oklahoma. Jordan and I had done some talking and planned to knock out a "special block" workout. I, of course would not be doing any of the uptempo running but opted to bike alongside to most optimally offer up taunts and sarcasm with his gatorade. Jordan mentioned having eaten shortly prior to our departure, which for me would have been an issue, but was but an afterthought for Kinley. I think he may have opted for the chupacabra chowder, which only helped fortify him. We hit lake Hefner to join Spenis and mobs of other fitness enthusiasts for the 9.5 mile lap after we legged out a 4 mile warmup. The lake can be exceptionally windy, but it was pretty much perfect yesterday, with a light lake breeze and a cloudless sky. Good work was done, for which I'll let Jordan supply the details. This workout is about running down the fuel reserves with a morning session, then coming back for more later in the day. I think it's a good way to sneak in a real big effort that's specific to the marathon in intensity and volume, without over-extending in one run, and therefore allowing for replication in a few weeks.
What I hadn't told Jordan was that Spenis and I had also done some talking and we thought that we might also insert a little adversity into the workout by getting him drunk the night before. We made the rounds, barely surviving our inaugural visit to the Bluebonnett, before moving to NY Pizza and finally to Blu. Spenis is notorious for opting to buy hangover inducing cocktails after we've already managed to swill a respectable amount of vinegar, luckily we were able to make it out before it got out of hand.

waiting for a train (to stop running through my head)

2009-01-09T10:59:00.000-06:00

It got rough last night but luckily the only carry over, other than another Sooner BCS loss, was a train wreck in my cranium. I should have known not to hang around with the likes of Spenis and Jordan but clearly I haven't learned my lesson just yet. There were some lighter moments on the evening. The first one occurred when I decided to not sit in Oklahoma City traffic for an hour and grab a jog in southwest OKC. As I drove through the derilict neighborhoods next to Woodson Park, there was this dude just walking down the middle of the busy street flipping me and everybody else off, then during my actual run some drunk lady sitting at the park offered her services as I ran by. To say that this is a good place to jog would be a lie, but it was kind of entertaining.
The bright spot of the morning was getting up and at it with just enough time to grab a fritter, a pastime which has been neglected for far too long. In fact, I think I'm going to reinstate this as my official Friday breakfast and see what kind of streak I can put together. Back in the spring of '06, I'm pretty sure I didn't miss a Friday morning fritter the entire semester. Alas, if they only had better coffee. I just read a report about Chicago Public Schools having spent $67K on espresso machines this year and I remember Trev's sentiment on his head professor using grant money to do the same. That's sound investment in my eyes...

einfach rauchbier

2009-01-07T13:54:00.001-06:00

I've got another beer in the fermenter and am anticipating a very distinct result. You see I'm trying my hand at a rauchbier which means a smoke beer. I've basically used a recipe for a nice malty brown ale and then added smoked malt on top of that. I am a little concerned that I might get tired of this flavor but unfortunately that's something I can't remedy and so my friends and family may have to step it up if I can't bring myself to comsume all of this batch.
Just looking outside today makes me want to go have a BBQ which would be the ultimate compliment to this beer. I'm envisioning bringing a grill over to Jordan's new pad and having like a street party. Somehow though I think we may have to contend with The Don of Main Street so maybe we'll opt for another locale.

I'n stretching like a mad man right now and have found that my soleus and calves indeed had retightened since the last time I tried to make a big push against the PF, so hopefully the irritation starts to lessen. The ART guy that I've now seen twice is alright but I certainly am not getting am overwhemling level of care so maybe another couple weeks of appointments and then I'll have my friends and family continue a baseline of care. The guy evidently was a pretty good runner at Cal Poly with an 8:52 steeple best and low 14 and 29, 5 and 10k bests. It's unfortunate that he's now overweight and living in OKC not really aware of the local running scene, but as long as he helps me get healthy...

you'll shoot your eye out

2009-01-02T13:06:00.000-06:00

I was actually more concerned about occipital lobe trauma as I biked around various points in Norman on New Year's Eve with champagne stowed in my backpack. Things were a little frantic right after work where we sold a bottle of Dom and almost all of our champagne before noon. I biked over to the rec fields for a quick barefoot jog, then headed straight to the Library for beers. There was a festive but small crowd on hand as we were there a bit early, but some dude did stumble in and offer free tickets to the Flaming Lips New Years Concert. The house Kona Stout on tap is greatly enhanced by the N2 charge and I actually think I preferred it to the current IPA. After some beers w/ Spenis, Trev & Shirley, and Skolnick, we headed to a Lebanese fundraiser dinner which was great and featured all the standards from that line of cuisine. Unfortunately, we were forced to skip out on dessert, which I'm still bitter about, as it was catered by La Baguette. Next I watched the Y2K simpsons special with Skolnick and popped a decent Brut. I celebrated the actual ano neuvo at a buddies house-party and managed to bike home and into the new year, unscathed.

I guess I should come up with a summary post for the past year and maybe some hopes for the new one. I've been a little unhappy with the last few months for the obvious reason that I'm not able to train or even run without pain. I had, from a training perpective, my best summer ever but overdid it. I wasn't able to capitalize on my training investment, but despite never healing up or getting back into training, I at least put it on the line at the 3rd annual McNellie's Pub Run and got a victory at the local Turkey Trot. I like to run but it's been such a burden lately that I've really taken a step back and will get healed before diving in again. My running goal is just that, getting healed up and then putting together more concrete race plans.

I will say that this blog has been an enjoyable outlet and I intend to continue its publication. I have also been motivated by my neighbors' candid renderings in the blogosphere and with any luck Trevor Gillum will join the fellowship. Setbacks have been a commonality this year but I have had alot of fun in other regards and I shall prevail. At the very least, I'm happy with the beer that I've been brewing lately and maybe someday this outlet will bring me fame and fortune. I've taken it upon myself to act as a martyr to the Norman community in terms of running/biking and maybe I can bring culinary betterment to my adopted community. More on that to come...

Give me a Z-O-L-O-F-T

2008-12-30T10:34:00.000-06:00

At this point, I will say that the weather has really been sublime the last few days in Norman, none of the crap that most of the rest of the country, other than central and SoCal has had to endure and very little wind. However, I have incurred an additional injury, no doubt due to compensation for the prior one. My knee has been doing weird things, not tracking properly and giving me shooting pains when it shifts out of alignment, even while biking or, say, walking down a ramp of the beer truck. At this point I've set an appointment with a ART guy up in the city for my foot, which will hopefully make some progress on the root cause. I am going to continue running but just for a few paltry miles at a time and pretty much all on even grass. It is weird because I had been really good about rolling my foot, but I reckon at some point I crossed a line where the rolling was inflaming the injury so now I'm going to do more strait icing, which has shown at least some benefit.

I'm not really that unsettled, as right now I'm quaffing espresso and a cranberry scone, reading up on the booming local porn scene. Also positive has been the fact that I have the strength and energy to bike to the bars and stay out late reconoitering with some long unseen locals. I'm even optimistic about my job- I've been promised (not guaranteed) that we will be sending back all 12 varieties of Smirnoff Ice and that, in supplement, I will be allowed to grace our shelves with some new beers.
That brings something to mind, if you have the opportunity to try the Flying Dog Double Dog, I would only follow through on it if you are a fucking disheveled, mangy hop-head like myself because it packs a wollop, both in IBU's and alcohol. On a more balanced note, I was treated to a really nice '05 Hobbs Pinot on Christmas. I learned that it recieved a 91 from Parker. The winery is probably one of the handfull that I have ever had of that class and it was indeed its own food group at the dinner table.

Professional Hitman = Growth Industry

2008-12-25T22:34:00.000-06:00

I wonder if this is still the case, but how can it not be. I mean we obviously need to off some managerial higher-ups and regulatory who's-its. I'm watching the best John Cusack/ Minnie Driver/ Jimmie Piven film in existence, Grosse Pointe Blank. This thing is iconoclastic in both character image, homage, and soundtrack. If you have a dialogue like this, can you really go wrong in a non-commital, roguish type of film:
Debi: You know what you need?
Marty: What?
Debi: Shakabuku.
Marty: You wanna tell me what that means?
Debi: It's a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever.
Marty: Oh, that'd be good. I think.

So since tonight was a major holiday of the Anglo variety, I indeed happened to swing by the Library to see what was on simmer. It was pretty busy but not overwhelmingly with regulars of my vintage. I figured with the various Pagan/ Papal overtones interwoven with this day, I'd opt for the Trappists best, at least in the Norman sense which means a round of Chimays for the lads and lasses. This was in addition to a nice couple Pinots with my turkey and a quality porto with my pie. I could go on because last night I pined for a quality beer and got it but that was of the import variety and as you all know that is a different beast entirely than the Belgian subculture, but instead I will say that today was a fine day in central Oklahoma and though I'm icing various points throughout the legs, I had a pleasant day overall.

Debi: You're a psychopath.
Marty: No, no. Psychopaths kill for no reason. I kill for "money". It's a "job". That didn't come out right.

-------------------------------peace to all--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't nobody cut and run on Sheriff J.W. Pepper

2008-12-23T10:37:00.000-06:00

Ah it's the holidays, which means the James Bond-athon is in full effect. With any luck I might be able to see 3 different epics as I sit and watch the freezing drizzle outside the shop. I have been remarkably diligent this morning, waking up before 7:30 and heading out to meet Jacqua for some coffee and a cobblestone and then actually logging a couple morning miles. I learned that Panera has designs on expanding to Canada and that it operates the largest free WiFi network in the US.
I debated on taking Dori the dog for a jog this morning, but I'm not sure of her aerobic condition and since I have been giving her a lot of TBonz brand dog snacks, I feel like her heart health may be compromised.
The most anticipated appointment of the day is an epic Stout taste-off over at Stevenson. I think they have the upper hand mainly because my variant is a bit young while theirs has been aging for a couple months which is about ideal for this sort of thing. I am confident in the quality of my head(that's what she said) and I think it will be a good opportunity to quantify what I've been doing with very meager investments but a whole lotta love

Live every week like it's shark week

2008-12-21T12:01:00.000-06:00

So I'm not going to lie, my motivation has been a little low. When I do lace up the sneaks, I am glad I did, but every time I head out I am reminded that my foot is still a limiting factor and it fucking hurts. I appreciate the sentiment of my local running buddies, who being primed and motivated about there upcoming exploits, continue to try and pry me loose from the bonds of the couch but it also feels like I have to daily remind them that yes I have to run on soft surfaces and yes I have to warm up and yes I have to stretch and ice afterwards which usually necesitates some extra time thereby rendering me unable to run with said personalities.

I'm going to repeat the above mantra whenever I feel overwhelmed and frustrated and tell the chemicals in my brain that endorphins are begotten through a bit of physical toil. The more I think about it, I think I'm just in a bad mood this morning because I had to stoop so low as to drink expired Folgers coffee, which was indeed as dreadful as it sounds. I spat my third sip out and had to go sans caffeine until noon. Now I've got the Joao on and am working on a proper cup of Sidamo.

meat is the new bread

2008-12-19T22:39:00.000-06:00

Today was a fairly long day. I biked up to the shop, arriving none too early and had a military guy berate me for not opening before 10 so he could buy a bottle of Patron. It was a really nice day, but sadly I had to watch most of it from behind glass. I didn't get out for a run in daylight as I had to get Dori the schnauzer out for a bathroom break and eat some holiday Oreos. It's a very convoluted situation, but since I have resumed riding my bike for transport and aspire to shower only by sink, I didn't have ideal footwear and had to run in the Cascadias, which was a mistake. Another error in judgement included trying to run the river trails home in the dark but decided one broken ankle was enough for the night and tried to exit, only to be blinded by the Marc Heitz dealership lights- I'm pretty sure the temperature was several degrees higher in the vicinity of that place. Anyway I made it home and grilled a couple Bison T-bones, that's right dose.

C'mon moodshift- shift back to good again

2008-12-18T10:13:00.000-06:00

I'm optimistic again, about things wide-ranging. Last night I made the trip up to Bolero, a new Spanish restaurant in Bricktown, which was decent if not novel for OKC. Spanish food(and wine) have been all the rage as of late, and the place is nicely hip but I think they may have to do more with their cuisine and service to make it last here. That being said, I love the idea of appetizers as a meal and they offered maybe 12-15 options. I wasn't that interested in their entrees, other than paella so I didn't get one instead going with:
Fried Goat-Cheese w/ Honey
Torino wrapped dates
Fried 'chokes w/ dill-cream sauce
Ceviche of shrimp and small scallops
Red Sangria
Our waiter wasn't overly insightful, but he had the hipster thing going and I ribbed him a couple times. I think he could have been a better embassadour of the cuisine but it may not really be warrented by the majority of the customers. After all I'm difficult in that I expect regional food to be just that. The ingredients really aren't anything we would be unfamiliar with here, maybe just the combinations. I actually really enjoy the sweet/salty dichotomy that seems to be a popular element elsewhere besides the US.

Running has been better of late and I managed to get in 100 minutes yesterday, which was pushing it a little bit. I have been running in the current Brooks wear test shoe pretty much exclusively and I like it pretty well. I think that more arch support would be good for me but it seems to have more cushioning than the Brooks Defyance at least, which I think I need right now.

can't get any more DUI's because they'll take my license and then I can't rent rollerblades

2008-12-11T20:43:00.000-06:00

Well, as we approach another weekend, I am going to hope that the events of last weekend don't repeat themselves. I can say that the highlight of last Saturday night was sushi with the boys at Gaijin, Guinness, OU romp and a surprise showing by a couple friends. The lowlights were much much lower.
Moving on, my foot was also at an all time low the last week or so but I have made a little progress and now I get to go and rep the OKrunner ELite squad in the Dallas WhiteRock Relay. Yes, it's a relay and if I had to run a mile more than my assigned leg, I'd probably croak, but I think my other teammates are feeling competent, maybe even salty and so I think I will ride high on the good vibes and mimosa-swilling fans along the course.

Rx: run like the shirefolk

2008-12-01T11:49:00.000-06:00

My heal had been pretty effed for most of last week and naturally after the Turkey Trot as I had no time at all to ice or stretch and drinking Optimators and fraternizing till the wee hours, sadly, is not the cure for this infirmity. Anyway, I ended up taking Friday off completely as I picked up a bit of a cold and being pretty careful for the rest of the weekend, sticking to grass and getting in alot of barefoot time in which really gets the fascia stretched out, plus you get some sweet callused and dirty feet. If only I had the power to cultivate some sweet hair on them as well. I think it was a wise idea as today I'm feeling better and ready to get a little work in this afternoon after a morning run on the roads with Holly. It's really effing windy which stirs up my allergies and places like the river trails and Sutton are more protected anyway so I'll override my aversion to driving to a run and head to one of those choice spots, maybe put in a little fartlek out there.

We've got the WhiteRock Relay coming up and my goal has been outlined for me: beat Jordan during my 5mile leg, which will mark the last 5miles of his 20miler and the second "race" effort as he is doing the first 6 mile leg. Second goal: try a new beer or 3 at the Ginger Man or some other quality public house after the work is done.