Blah

I feel like I just got of a hot tub. Not sick, not lazy, just relaxed, just blah. Almost feel like I'm having an out of body experience or something. My brain and body are in a state of stupor. I started out at SDRC playing Dad. We played three games.

I started out giving him a lead of 10 points, he won. Then lead of 9, he won, lead of 8, he won again. His serves are getting better, he's getting faster, and making less bonehead mistakes.

Then Dan came. We played cut-throat. I won, and then Tom showed up. Dad and I played doubles against Dan and Tom. Dad and I won surprisingly. Dad had a few ace serves and we got lucky. Dad had to go so Dan, Tom and I played cutthroat. Tom won both of them. At this point is where my stupor state started. I was tired, but not so tired that I couldn't perform, just not as crisp mentally as I wanted. Tom was the guy who was consistently taking me out.

Total play time: 2:10

5 Mile Hike with the scouts

Today I only had about 1000 calories of energy intake. Took the train today so I biked home from the Layton Station. Got home quickly got some toast and then biked over to the church where I started the boys on this 5 mile hike. I forgot to take some water. I was wearing Levis and man was I tired at the end!

Felt like that hike was harder than biking home from Tomax.

Fresca Diet

So I decided this last weekend that I would start something that might be rash, but hopefully effective. I'm going to be sipping on Fresca throughout the day to keep myself hydrated and my stomach full. It's much tastier than water, refreshing and zero calories. I bought 12 x 2 liter bottles of the stuff and hope that it lasts a couple of weeks. I weighed in this morning exactly at 200.0 pounds and hope to be 195 by next Monday morning.

This morning I went in to LSaS (Layton Surf n' Swim) and played racquetball with Dan and Shawn. We played two cut-throat games. In the first game, Shawn called a short on Dan which was very close and Dan was in obvious disagreement with the call, but like a gentleman replayed it. The very next play Shawn hit the ball about a foot from Dan's head and hit him right in the ear with the ball. It was a hard hit and would have floored some guys. Dan took it well, but I immediately felt a disturbance in the force. The dark side was emanating from his being. However, the dark side fueled his anger and energy and he came back from 4 up to 15 for the win.

The next game Shawn barely squeaked by to win with Dan and myself both at 14.

Dan took off to get in early for a new hire. I played two games with Shawn and won both of them. My right tricep was strained from the first game today when I served extra hard. I was tired, but was able to make some decent shots to win by a huge margin on the second game.

1:45 total time played. Good games.

At lunch I did 45 minutes Elliptical Trainer, 10 minutes of Abs, then 80 pushups straight.

Water, Water Everywhere, but Not a Drop to Drink

This morning I took the scouts to Clearfield Aquatic Center to pass of the first and second class swimming requirements. I did 500 yards in laps and stopped cause they were done and started playing games. Sure reminded me of the lifeguarding days. Seems like its natural to break alot of rules. But we only got yelled at once.

In the afternoon we borrowed Steve Roberts kayak and went to Willard Bay. We set up on the beach after walking a couple hundred yards and down a steep rocky hill. Lots of stuff we took including a sun tent and camp chairs. Cathi started with the kayak and was gone for over an hour. She was so far away I couldn't even see her anymore. I wished I had my binoculars. When she got back I was ready to try it. She admitted that she wouldn't be able to be my boat backup at the Deer Creek race. She said she couldn't go more than 30 stroked before her arms were tired and that the whole time she had to take a bunch of breaks because it was hard on her arms.

When I went I was gone for 1:10 and only took about 1 minute break when I got close to where some birds went under the water. I was hoping they would come up right next to me, but they aren't dumb. I almost made it all the way across, but I promised Cathi I wouldn't be more than an hour.

When I turned around I was about 15 minutes from the other side. The thing was I was so thirsty. The sun was beating down and I didn't have any water. I kept thinking like those who might be in the ocean, "Water, Water Everywhere, but Not a Drop to Drink". Willard Bay water is gross! I wasn't about to swim in it. I got up to my knees and started seeing stuff that doesn't look it should be in the water. Probably all in my head, but the seaweed was bad too so I just kayaked today. Probably about 4 miles total.

The kids got real dirty and had a fun time on the beach burying each other and swimming. It was a great day!

Early morning racquetball

Since taking yesterday off from racquetball, Dad was disappointed and setup something last minute between himself, Eric and I. We met at SDRC at 6am and played till 8:15.

We played lots of cutthroat in which Eric won every time. When Dad took off Eric and I played three singles matches. He killed me on the first, squeaked by on the second and I slipped in the last win.

I was very tired this morning. I thought yesterday's nap got me caught up, but I'm not so sure. Sweat like a pig though and got a great workout.

Pioneer Day bike ride

This morning I got up at 2:00 am to get Cathi off to her Marathon and went to work super early. I got off at 8:45 to meet Cathi at the finish line. She came to the finish line within a minute of her PR, so she did awesome! I was so proud of her!

Went home and fell asleep I was so tired! When I woke up I had dinner and took off at 7:15 for bike ride around Syracuse -> Roy and back. Here are the stats:

26.6 miles, 1:22, 19.4 mph average

Hit a couple of dead ends and had to slow down to do a U turn, but other than that and about a half dozen stop lights, I was able to maintain a fairly good pace. I hit a good hill heading into Roy, but the rest of the time was going flat, or slightly down.

It was a very good ride!

Deseret News Marathon

Posted by Cathi:

It was a great race today!

I loved the early start time of 5:30. This was the first race I've done that started before 7:00 AM which I thought was bold of the race organizers. It was a very smart move. It didn't get too hot.

The course has been changed since I did it last. It used to go up the big Hogle Zoo hill, which was a low-light in my life. The course was much bette

Overall this was a very well-run, well volunteered, terrific race. I got within one minute of my best time ever. My time was 3:51:04.

I just hope I can get Sarah Arnett to do it with me next time.

Thanks to all and I hope to do it again another year.

First ride since I tuned the derailer

I tuned the derailer yesterday evening and thought I messed it up pretty bad, but after a bit of tweaking the screws I got it so that it will shift on me when appropriate. I didn't have any "slips" like I did last time I road so I'm happy.

This morning I swam 3200 yards and then road in to work. Had a pretty good headwind for most of the ride in.

I plan on riding home late this evening just before the sun goes down. Riding home is longer since I ride from Layton Surf N Swim in the morning and then ride home in the evening. It's 5 miles longer going home. Here's the stats, and also the plan for tonight, which I will update with actual stats once I get back to the computer tomorrow:

To SLC: 25.2 miles, 1:28 Elapsed, 17.1 mph avg
To Syracuse: 30.6 miles, 1:41 Elapsed, 18.2 mph avg

The ride home felt fast. The slowest point is going up the frontage road in NSL where the construction trucks are, and then going up the bike trail in NSL leading up to Hwy 89. Other than that, worked hard in high gears.

Fast paced racquetball

This morning I got up early and played racquetball at Layton Surf N' Swim. I started out playing Shawn Bell and won the first game. Then Lemar came and we played cutthroat. Lemar is a hustler and was able to chase down alot of the short shorts. But I won the first game. The second game everyone was 14 and Lemar got the win. Then Shawn and I played three more games. He won one and I won two.

Had a great lower body workout today.

2 hours total.

Riding to Farmington Station

Biked with Cathi down to the middle of Angel Street from our house. We slept in this morning and didn't get to the pool, but she went without me while I diverged to go to work. I was so late, I ended up catching FrontRunner in Farmington rather than ride in the whole way.

Total Distance 13.5
Time Spent: 55 minutes
Average Speed: 14.9 mph

Biking to Lagoon

Today I drove in to work today and left this afternoon to meet Cathi and the kids at Lagoon.

Total Distance 17.5 miles
Time: 1:04
Average Speed: 16.4 mph

Had a headwind to deal with, but wasn't dead by the time I got there. Lagoon throughout the day took alot of energy. I tried the Xango energy sample I got at the triathlon and it was OK. Then I tried the Raspberry flavored energy gel and that was gross!

Did Hi-Striker at the end of the day. I did 6 hits and the best was 98 and the lowest 87.

Buzz Bites

In the past when I have an event that requires some quick energy that enhances my performance in a swim or long distance bike ride I took a 200 mg tablet of caffeine. The problem with that was that it would sometimes lift me up too much.

I found a better solution. Buzz Bites is a chocolate energy chew that contains only half of a caffeine pill. It contains 100 mg of caffeine. It tastes like a dark chocolate tootsie roll. It was delicious and gave me the proper amount of lift I needed. The caffeine pill is too expensive and doesn't contain any vitamins which Buzz Bites offers. Buzz Bites is now on my inventory checklist for important races, or long distance rides.

Just don't think of them as candy as I think they could become addictive, just like any caffeinated product. It's definitely for special performance enhancement scenarios. Check out their website for more information and for ordering!

Soothe Those Aching Joints

There’s more than a grain of truth in the saying that we realize the value of something only when we no longer have it, a truth that hits home hard when the flexibility and agility of youth slowly but steadily gives way to the creaks and groans associated with the onset of age and the passing of years. Arthritis and other related joint pains are a scourge for people who have reached a certain age or who are unlucky enough to be beset by geriatric problems even in the throes of youth.

The knees, shoulders, wrists, fingers, and elbows are the most susceptible to attacks of rheumatism and arthritis, both diseases which make movement intensely painful and also cause stiffness. Some people are plagued by osteoporosis, a disease which weakens the bones and causes cartilage damage as we grow older. Joint injuries also take longer to heal under such conditions.

While a healthy diet filled with nutrition and regular exercise help keep joint pains at bay, sometimes even the best of prevention methods fails, and nature takes its course. Under such circumstances, there are ways to help alleviate the pain, both with and without medication.

• Exercise helps relieve joint pains and prevents them from reoccurring. Consult your physician to see if strengthening or stretching exercises will help your situation best. Start slowly and get into your routine gradually. While you may feel pain initially, if you stay the course, you will realize the benefits in the form of painless joints. Warming up before and down after your exercise routine is extremely important to avoid injuries and strain to your joints. Take care not to overdo any activity.


• Drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen do help in short term pain relief, but consult your doctor before taking any medication to avoid side effects.


• Baths and soaks in warm water help soothe aching joints as do warm compresses.


• Avoid alcohol, foods with additives and preservatives like monosodium glutamate, dairy products, vegetables like potatoes and tomatoes, red meat like beef, pork and lamb, foods high in sugar content and vegetable oils.


• Acupuncture or other alternative treatments do help for some people.


• Swimming in warm water is an effective exercise to keep away the pains.


• Herbal teas, concoctions and brews have a soothing effect and act as pain relievers.


• Take care not to keep your joints in one position for long periods of time. If you’re taking a long road trip, stop often and get out and walk. Do not sit for prolonged periods of time in front of the television. Walk from time to time to the kitchen to get a drink of water.


• Do not work continuously; give yourself adequate rest periods in between bouts of activity.

Always consult your doctor before you undertake any exercise routine or take any medication.

By-line:

This post was contributed by Heather Johnson, who writes on the subject of online nursing degree. She invites your feedback at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com

Evening ride

After helping Cathi prepare for her singing time tomorrow I needed a break so I went on a ride just as the sun was going down:

Moving Time: 43:35
Distance: 13.5 miles
Avg Speed: 18.3 mph

I ran into a couple of dirt road sections. I also came to one gravel trail at the top of an incline and didn't see it coming so I had to break real quick. I tried shifting down quickly, but ended up getting my chain all wrapped up and had to turn my bike upside down to untangle it.

Temperature was nice and was able to get in a decent ride in less than an hour.

Xango Echo Triathlon

Distance/Times: Swim 750 M, Bike 20K (12.4 miles), Run 5K (3.1 miles)
Cathi - Total: 1:42:10.95, Swim: 15:41, Bike: 54:26, Run: 26:09
Gords - Just the swim (Relay): 11:28

Details:
Roceil watched the kids for us so Cathi and I could check in the Best Western in Coalville, UT. We went over and got Cathi's packet and did the triathlon walk through. The guide told us of the transition and paths to take which made our experience more comfortable. It was very well organized and laid out. There were lots of signs to make the participants morons if they messed up. And if they still couldn't see the big signs there were lots of volunteers to point the proper direction.

In the morning we got up at 4:45 am and got ready to ride over. We biked over from the hotel which was probably only 2 miles. It was very cold and when we got there the rest of Team Tomax arrived within 30 minutes and we got our packet, timing chip and visited until our start time at 7:50 (for Cathi) and 8:00 (for me).

When I got in the water I noticed that it was hardly muddy and that the water wasn't that cold. They started us and I swam quite easily to the first marker which was easy to see. I rotated my head out of the water every 6 strokes or so and I was usually right on course, so no major lopsidedness going on. When I rounded the first corner I was what I felt like first place for my wave. I was now hitting women who were from the wave before mine. I even ran right into a very slow moving woman and instead of climbing over here, I stopped cold and went around her. I said "Sorry" and started my forward movement back up.

When I rounded the second marker I headed for the get out point. It was right in line with the sun so I couldn't see the marker or the beach at all, just a huge sun. I was noticing the direction of the other swimmers when breathing to the side and saw that they were going parallel to me so I just went with that hoping that it was the right way and that the whole other group was going the right way. That was a good strategy even though I was paranoid that everyone else was doing the same thing and going the wrong way.

But not before long I could see the shadow of trees which meant I was nearing the finish. I was too far to the right as I started running into reeds so I veered left and swam another 25 yards or so before hitting the bottom and running out. I heard the beep as I crossed the sensor pad with my left ankle's timing chip. As I ran up the slope on the green turf I saw Cathi and said "Good Job Cathi!" I found my shoes and hurried to slip them on and run to the transition area which was about 200 yards. I think I was the first team relay swimmer out of the water. Jason was pleased and hurried to get the timing chip on and took off. My time in the swim was 11:28. I was aiming for 11:30 so I met my goal. I was disappointed that I did the relay. I had plenty of energy left and wished I could have done the bike and run.

I saw Cathi start her bike portion and waited for Jason to arrive so Heather could go. I didn't use my stop watch at all so I didn't know how we were doing during the race.

I saw Heather start off and then as she finished. I then saw Cathi finish.
Team Tomax came in first place in the coed sprint relay division. We did it. Great job team. And great job Cathi!


Here are the results of the Coed Division:


Here is the overall results page.

70 Mile Ride from Cabin to Home

I planned on riding home from the cabin so I woke this morning and ate some breakfast and left at 6:30 or so. The first 9 miles down the canyon was fun and easy. I rode down through Logan easily and made it several miles South of Logan on Highway 89. I started up the hill at around mile 20 and it was a slow incline up. I climbed over 1000 ft, but once I got to the top the ride down was awesome! I maxed out east of Mantua going 47.9 mph.


I turned on the old road taking me past Maddox in Perry and headed south from there. Stopped for a bathroom break in Slaterville and further on my GPS complained of running out of batteries so I stopped again for replacements. At this point it was about 10:30 and it was starting to get hot. The rest of the trip was fairly flat, but it was getting tiring as the heat was getting intense. I went through 4 x 16 oz gaterades and about 20 oz of water.

When I got home I washed my bike down real good and waited for Cathi to bring the kids from the cabin in the van. This was a great ride and only about a mile of road where the shoulder was less than desirable.