Saturday, April 7, 2012

Random Observations and Stuff ...

It has been a long time since a new post has been seen on these very pages. I am not quitting blogging or anything crazy. I was sick and then busy, that is all. Since most of you people are ADD we are going to recap my hiatus bullet point style (you're welcome)! Lets get it on:


  • I am wrapping up Week 5 of Ironman Training and it is going very well. Back in the middle of Week 2 this was not the case. I ended up in the Emergency Room with a 103* temperature. I was told this is a pretty high temperature for an adult and the fact that I was seeing 3 of the same Doctor made me believe this statement. After running every test in the book it was determined I had the Flu - Full Blown! It was ugly. I missed 9 days of training and was pretty weak starting back up. I am pathetic when sick and was sleeping a cat-like 18-20hrs per day. My body just shutdown.
  • Good news: I am 100% healthy and back training hard. 
  • Bad news: I didn't lose a single F'n pound while sick. I couldn't eat anything solid for like 4 days and didn't lose any weight - bullshit.
  • I am at 150-lbs so really do not need to lose any weight but it would have been nice consider all that was coming out of my body.  I know I am at Race Weight when homeless people at stoplights refuse to take my change and tell me to spend it on a sandwich - not quite there ... yet.
  • While sick I read the first two Hunger Games Books. One word review: Okay. Also saw the movie with Annie. One word review: Okay.
  • I am thinking of developing a movie website that is like Twitter but you review movies with just one word. Who the hell needs 140 characters? Let me know if you think this one has legs?
  • Dropped 177mi on the bike this week! Feeling a little KC-like!
  • I am eating hills for breakfast (or they are eating me? Semantics) in preparation for Ironman Mont-Tremblant and Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon 70.3. Unfortunately the majority of these rides have been on the Computrainer since I live at Sea-Level.
  • Running had been rather difficult for me up until this week. I had no idea why? The longer runs felt okay but the short runs were extremely uncomfortable: Erratic pace, high HR, just no flow or rhythm at all. Then on Monday I met up with my friend Bobby at the LTF Run Club and everything felt fine? It was almost like all the crappy runs never happened. Then I did a brick run yesterday and again today and they both felt great. My guess is that it was still some Hangover from the Woodlands Marathon or I needed a new pair of shoes? On Monday I ran in the new Brooks Pure Flows and they made me feel fast and sexy, which made my ass feel small - maybe it was all mental because we all know you cannot run fast when you feel like your ass is big, amiright?
  • While sick Annie and I (she was sick too) watched the first 3 seasons of Breaking Bad. It was awesome. The real reason I watched was so that Kevin and Jon would quit harassing me about it - they were right because it is great. I was actually considering buying an RV and cooking some meth but then I realized I did not know how to cook meth so that dream died a fast death. Maybe one day.
  • GAME OF THRONES. If you are not watching this HBO series you are missing out on what maybe the best TV show since The Wire. I watched the first season while on the trainer. It is perfect. The second season just began last week so you can get caught up. This show has potential to be the best show ever. Seriously, finish reading this post and start watching. After you finish you will want to somehow thank me for this recommendation (much like Sharktopus) - this can be done in the form of cookies.
  • As I type this my Kestrel 4000 is being fit with a brand spanking new Compact Crank. It is a 50/34 with 165mm crank length. This should dramatically help with all the climbing that is in my future. Thanks to Jon for answering my 6million questions about gearing.
  • It has been confirmed: I am still a shitty swimmer. Who would have thought taking 5 months off from the pool would have made me slower and less fit in the water? Will have to file that one away as to not make the same mistake again. Live and learn, right?
  • In all seriousness, I suck at swimming right now but am getting closer to reclaiming my status of mediocre each time I hit the pool. By mid-June I am hopeful to be considered a little better then average - when you dream, kids, dream big!
  • Just to let you know I am back stronger then ever this post has not been proof read whatsoever, like most of my posts, so whoever points out the most grammatical errors in the comments wins the title of being the snotty person who goes around on blogs and corrects grammar errors. As Rob Schneider would say in every shitty Adam Sandler movie ever made, "YOU CAN DO IT"!
  • Going to end on a high note - this is important. WTC is putting on a contest that gives 8 people a chance to win a trip to race Kona. Each contestant has to submit a 90-second video telling their Ironman story. Fellow blogger and Ironman Bob Shuler (aka-OneHourIronman) has submitted his video and needs our votes. All that you have to do is CLICK HERE and then "Vote" in the bottom left hand corner of Bob's video. And for your viewing enjoyment Bob has submitted a video of him suffering away on a spin bike! Bob has been a blogger for many years and has given us all TONS of advice on racing the 140.6 Distance. Let's all go vote and get one of us to the big show!
Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

28 comments:

  1. Once you get over the swallowing pride for the compact, it makes sense for so many people. Wise choice.

    I watch GOT while on the trainer too. I'm reading the books but they take a lot more time.

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    1. Just hope I have enough umph left to hang on for the weekly group ride. Will probably wait until IMMT to put on the 11x28 cassette.

      Been thinking of getting the books on the Kindle but than am afraid it will ruin the show for me. But then I am too damn antsy to wait for a new episode each week. Such decisions #whitepeopleproblems

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  2. I want to eat hills for appetizers. And i am surprised that you were all ehhh on hunger games. Im not a young adult weirdo reader who read harry potter or twillight but i loved the hunger games books (read 1 and 2). Havent seen the movie, but heard good reviews.

    And im sure you sucking at swimming is better than my sucky swimmer....i havent been in a bathing suit since sept!

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  3. A couple years ago I lost 7 lbs in 4 days from being sick. On one hand I thought that was cool, but then I remembered what I went through for my body to loose the weight. Yuck.

    Isn't Breaking Bad great? I've heard a lot of good stuff about Game of Thrones, will have to check that out.

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    1. I've had a couple of food poisoning and stomach flu days that have taken off that kind of weight - man do they suck!!!

      BB is incredible! We are waiting for Season 4 to be released on DVD.

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  4. Ah, the flu. It's been awhile. Glad you are well!

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  5. seems like lots of people have been sick. i haven't trained in 3 days and have actually slept in until 6:30 am but i must be getting better as today i'm up at my usual 4:30 am

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  6. Replies
    1. Kovas, FTW! That was funny!

      Remind me to tell you about my iPhone app idea, it is brilliant I tell ya, brilliant!

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  7. Misc. responses...

    Thanks for the plug on my video.... I am still the oldest participant. I guess old people have too much pride to enter.... or maybe I really am old?

    I went to a compact carbon crank also. sure didn't help yesterday in the hills, though. I love how they claim with carbon "40% more power to the crank".... or some other bull shit, huh??, not yesterday.

    Swim? Everytime I see a swim post I think of Arnie... He cranked out 15 yesterday.... that's 15 miles! and has a 24 mile endurance race in Tampa Bay in 2 weeks. SICK!

    Sick? Glad your better. I hate being sick. I nipped my alergy infection and shnizz with drugs about 2 weeks ago..

    Boston? Not sure you mentioned this... but my trash man from the old hood is running Boston. He is 47 and his name is Johnny Pettygrue... A 3:17 guy. You should look for him. You may be able to spot him since he could be one of the few African Americans in the race.

    Texas going to early May? Let's talk them into March...

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    1. The end of March is also a possibility from what I have heard but that maybe in 2014? Chances are it will swap dates with the CB&I Sprint Tri that is always the first weekend of May. If they cannot make the date work then it will the same weekend with a forecast of hot & humid!

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    2. Also, they changed the bike course. I like it. Instead of going out through the backside of the Woodlands they are going to run us East over 45 and will send us North up the 45 feeder road. It will be fast on the way out. We will pick up the course North of FM1488, which is where I got stopped on the bike last year. That road was jacked up with traffic.

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  8. I am glad that you are feeling better. I love your idea on the movie review website. Let me know when you are ready to create it and I will create it for ya.

    Great job on the training!

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    Replies
    1. That is what I am talking about! Now everyone is a hater, Kovas.

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  9. Glad you are better. The Flu sucks. I had food posioning on Friday from coffee (I think? It tasted really bad and I only had a sip before chucking it but I was a hot mess) and slept most of Friday (when I wasn't in the bathroom).

    OK DUDE. LOVE the 1 word movie website. I read the Hunger Games books and gave them a "Good". The movie I give an "OK"

    Game of Thrones books I give "Epic" Haven't seen the TV version I need to get on that.

    I need crank help. Should I as you or Jon? I think I need to make a change for IMMT. Even when I am in my small ring and climbing the steeper hills around here it is tough to spin up them...

    Yup. Apparently you lose swimming fitness when you take time off from the pool - I just figured that out this weekend. OUCH. My big goal is to get from sucky to so so....

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  10. I am thinking of developing a movie website that is like Twitter but you review movies with just one word. Who the hell needs 140 characters? Let me know if you think this one has legs?

    YES YOU CAN DO IT!

    I would be all over that site. I have something like 400 reviews on Netflix and that is just starts. Imagine the words I could come up with for those shitty movies. Words like: suckwad, shitfest, fantasticallyhorrible and that is just for the Mission Impossible movies......hahaha!

    Glad you got over that lava like temperature and are back at it. Put some pancakes at the top of that hill and have them covered in PURE maple syrup and PURE honey and you'll be eating those hills for sure.

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    Replies
    1. see you get it - funny one word reviews. IE - Mission Impossible 4: Shitariffic!

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  11. OMG I LOVE Game of Thrones. Since we don't have time to watch TV anymore we cancelled cable and got a Roku. Unfortunately our area won't play HBO GO unless you have a cable subsription. I am so sad I can't watch season 2....for at least another couple months.

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    1. Episode 2 of Season 2 is on in 46minutes, not that I am counting or anything!

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  12. oh man, sounds like you had the shit that i had all of feb. sucked!! glad you are 100% now. kc-like on the bike ...lol! it's how i spend quality time with the J-man who refuses to run or swim.
    i can't comment on any of the movies or books you mentioned b/c i haven't seen or read any of them. sad!
    keep up the great IM training!

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  13. Welcome back, Jeff! That sucks you were super sick, and Annie too! I'm glad you guys are feeling better. Nice working on the miles on the bike! That's serious! I think the one-word movie review is a dandy idea! I'd do it!

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  14. "I know I am at Race Weight when homeless people at stoplights refuse to take my change and tell me to spend it on a sandwich"

    BWAHAHHAHAHAAHA

    Good one!

    Man, I took 4 months off from the pool from Lake Placid and I am STILL behind in regards to swim fitness from this time last year. It's getting better, but the pool HATES me this year, it seems!

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  15. Okay so the flu sounds gross... I'm so glad that you are finally feeling better. Totally sucks that you didn't lose any weight, but holy hell - at 150, you don't have any to lose. Keep some weight on for the downhills... :)

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  16. This post sounds a lot like how my life has been. All freaking over the place.

    Glad you are healthy again and back at it.

    177 miles? That is KC-like! (Or Emz-like if you drop that on the run).

    Were you seriously just talking about the size of your ass??? Man card revokation papework has been started.

    You'll have to get the DVDs of season 4 of Breaking Bad now so that you can be ready for season 5.

    Tried getting into the Game of Thrones books but didn't have any luck. I'm going to try again though. I want to read the books before watching the show.

    BTW - After riding with my 12-28 for a while, I am thinking of switching back to 12-25 for IMMT. Like Jon said, smoother gear changes and more usable options.

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  17. wow man - SICK! big temp.....ive been under the weather for several weeks BUT now feeling pretty good about it after reading your go of it. Glad youre back!

    the swimming will come back no problemo
    always does
    IM Training!!!

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  18. I'm considering a compact crank....but having an SRM, I'm trying a different cassette first, but my gut says I'll be buying that crank soon.

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  19. FloJo was NOT on 'roids...facial hair ran in the family.

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  20. Glad you are feeling better! Swimming would be why I don't do triathlons -- not only am I a terrible swimmer, I am also terrified of water. Good for you for keeping at it!!

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