Hiya!!!

No I am not dead, yet. No I am not abandoning the blogging either. And no I am not wallowing in sorrow over a lousy football game. And all this new blogger crap is driving me nuts. I was perfectly content with what I had. Well I'm trying not to be assimilated, but I'll bet resistance is futile. When I mentioned the thought of discontinuing to blog, it was not the whim of a madman. Rather I foresaw the lack of time and resources to put into a quality blog. I can blog from work, but big brother is watching. I would have to limit my posts on bike porn. I have not settled into a regular work routine, and I probably never will. On the flip side, I can eventually settle into a workout and training routine; and I am trying to do that. A new laptop is budgeted and an order will be placed this week. I try to celebrate new year's more than once too, so I am just warning everyone that I intend to take some time away from blogland until maybe a week after the Chinese new year. Let's let the dust clear. But you know this stuff is addicting, and I'm hooked. So maybe...

But...I do have some immediate news to share that offers preliminary excitement. I took a full day away from work on Monday. It really wasn't vacation because I had to see a number of medical professionals.

News from the cardiologist: you competed in an Ironman. I even looked you up on the website; I don't think I need to test you anymore. See me or another doc maybe once a year.

News from the physical therapist: ankle is stable and strong. It is still stiff with scar tissue from October. If you can tolerate the pain, work through it. Fire up the running.

MMMmm...Do I smell...Bacon....

Anyways, when considering whether or not to move out of my corner of blogland, I often wondered if people came to my corner because of the subjects that I wrote about. But I think there are enough people who stop here regardless of what I write about. Or maybe I've just got delusions of granduer. So I have a few posts that are snapshots of the last few weeks of my world. The posts are in the works but I fear I will only have time to finish one or two of them before they are no longer fresh and before I take my hiatus. So people, rock the vote and Choose your own Adventure:

1 - To read about The Scioto & Olentangy, RPAC, and Graeter's, reply in the comments with: I'm an Ohio-phile; tell me more!!!

2 - To read about tandem & ovoids, EDW, and ultrasound probes, reply in the comments with: I'm a science geek; tell me more!!!

3 - To read about spandex & technical tees, S/M/L, and shopping, reply in the comments with: I'm a tri-geek; tell me more!!!

Football

O-H!!!

First order of business: Click here for today's musical selection.

Next item: Football. I really love football. From watching last week's Boise State win over Oklahoma in overtime to watching my favorite pro team lose to my brother-in-law's team when the QB botched the hold on a field goal attempt. So I am absolutely tickled to be moving to an awesome football town. C-bus may only have a collegiate team, but damn are they fun to watch. And they could probably beat a few pro teams too. So Monday night, after nine hours of new employee orientation, I am going to plop down somewhere with a few friends, a few beers, and watch the Buckeyes bring another national championship in football back to my state and to my new hometown.

Business that has been pigeonholed: My appointment with the cardiac doc in December was pushed back yet again. Why does he tease me by setting up a date and then avoid me by canceling? My next date with him is at the end of January. And, damn it, we have got to have a serious heart-to-heart talk soon.

Old business: We were just talking about my love of football. So remember this? (Warning: image may be graphic in nature.) Three months later it looks like this.



Anyone want to make a diagnosis?

Okay, I'll clue you in.

The good news: everything is intact - no structural damage, no subluxation of the tendons, no ligament tears. The bad news: the scar tissue is still clinging to my ligaments like a good bacon-wrapped appetizer. MMMmmm. Those carrot and celery sticks look a little out of place in that picture.

So more home exercises. And I'm still waiting for my foot massage. Most of us like happy endings, so yes, a timetable for a return to running is being established. The running will be coming soon. Can not. Hold out. Much. Longer.


In case you haven't had your fill of TBDBITL yet, here's another clip (and some of their other stuff).


GO BUCKEYES!!!
I-O!!!

Moving

If you haven't noticed the full title of this blog, take a look:

TriAl v2006.

Pretty easy to recognize that this blog has an expiration date. There was a lot of thought that went into that title. I intended to blog for one year - for my first journey to Ironman.

Now that the calendar is rolling over to 2007, what should be done with this blog? The zeal for posting to this blog has not been there. The creativity hasn't been there either. Honestly I have not convinced myself that I want to continue to consistently blog.

But regardless, I am starting anew.

I'm moving out.

Or at least I thought I was. I even set up another blog elsewhere. But there were some things I was not able to do at the other site. And besides, I would feel bad if I made you all change your links, bookmarks, bloglines, et cetera. Therefore I am staying put here in my corner of blogland.

But this place may get a bit dusty as I will probably do some remodeling. And yes I will need to change the title of my blog. So if there are things you liked or did not like about my corner of blogland, speak now or forever hold your peace.

To all: Have a great 2007!!!

Moving, Part 2

I have already confirmed this rumor to a few folks.

But I am moving.

I mean I will be picking up my stuff and moving down the freeway, oh, about 120 miles to C-Bus. And, holy crap, I am going to be gone by next week?! I begin a new job, a new career, and a new life in four days. I am not quite sure what should be going through my brain as I will be meeting new people and new challenges while leaving good friends and family. The magnitude of the situation has not sunk in, especially since my stuff will remain in my current abode for a few more weeks. (I will be living the life of a nomad for a while and I will not have my own computer either.) So I guess right now I am going to be publicly stoic.

Wow. This (or this, or this) was a great way to start the year. But moving certainly is another way to start the year with a bang.

Tag

Triteacher tagged me, so I'm IT. Silly Ms. Triteacher. You know not what you have done.

Anyway, here's how it goes:

1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book & the author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
5. Tag three more folks.

Shielding Techniques for Radiation Oncology Facilities, 2nd Edition. By Patton H. McGinley

Excerpt from Page 122. (Page 123 consists of Figure 8-2)
"The value of Kux is used with figure 8-2 to determine the thickness of lead required for the primary barrier. Figure 8-2 is based on 125 kV x-rays, which is a typical operating voltage for a radiotherapy simulator. Note that the transmission curve cannot be described by a single half value layer (HVL), and the thickness of lead needed must be determined graphically."

Okay, time to share the love.

1. TriSaraTops: She may not be unpacked yet, but I'm hoping she has some book from or about Hawaii.
2. Jodi: I'm guessing the recent birthday girl is in the lab, but taking a break from thesis writing. So let's see if we can get some more over-our-heads science stuff.
3. Rachel: Maybe I can get even more snippets of scientific research.

By the way, ever try to track one of these "chain" posts? I traced this back to Dr. Stephanie and then lost the trail. I am also curious to see where this little bugger goes after it leaves my corner of blogland. Bon voyage.

There's a lot of little things I want to get to tonight.

Beta Blogger:

First off Beta Blogger sucks donkey balls. I've still been reading other fine folks' blogs, but the ability to make comments has sucked. So I'll probably be a little sporadic with them.

Ankle Update:

I had another visit to my physical therapist last Friday. Things are progressing, slowly. The flexibility and stability are there in most directions. The strength is okay, but still a little imbalanced between the right and left legs. But the scar tissue is still there. I was assessed on the treadmill. I looked okay, but the running just did not feel right. There's some discomfort in places where discomfort should not be. We believe I may have stretched a few key ligaments in addition to my tendon strain. I may need to go back to the doctor for a more accurate diagnosis (read MRI) if things do not contiune to progress. So I'm still restricted from running. Ugh hopefully by mid January I'll be able to run. I've got to get ready to play in the big football game with my buddies on Super Bowl Sunday. (Hope my new tri team manager doesn't throw any clauses into my contract.)

Computer Names:

I received a few comments about my naming of my hard drives. Well this stems from my college days on campus. Thousands of computers were all networked together. So if my friend was in his lab on the quad, he could access my computer sitting in my dorm room and get a copy of our lab report. But it's hard to look for a computer named "03BE-F14C". Everyone had a name for their computer. Hence the tradition of naming my computer. I like traditions and so it has continued even to this day. And I think I have a name picked out for my next computer.

Speedplay Pedals:

Over the last few years I have been using Look CX7 pedals. They work well as I can make micro adjustments. I have heard Look is trying to switch over to the keo style cleats and away from the larger delta cleats. So I made the switch to Speedplays Zeros. I felt the increased degree of float would really help out the knees too. I purchased them with my new bike, but was not about to go 112 miles on brand new pedals. So I have been trying to them out on the trainer. And let me tell you I felt like I did when I first went clipless. If I was on the road, I would be on the ground at every stoplight. Also when I clip out I have to twist my foot outwards; that's not the best thing for a weak ankle. I got in my first long workout with the Speedplay pedals tonight and I've got some adjustments to make. 140 rpms is not fun, but even less fun when things are slightly out of alignment.

Cardiologist:

This Friday I finally return to my cardiologist. (It feels so weird to type that - "my cardiologist." I'm a thirty year old Ironman with a cardiologist. Wow.) Anyways, I just want a definitive resolution to any heart conidition I may or may not have. More so, I want to be able to run hard with no fear. Call me crazy but I miss Zone 5 workouts.

Up Next:

I had a chat with my coach about a week ago. I asked him flat out what he thought about this past season. He gave it B-/C+ range. Why? It wasn't performance. I performed well at IM WI, but because my training was cautious and restricted I never got the chance to really see what I could do.

So what is next? I saw one of my IM WI brothers tonight for the first time since September. We started talking a little about what's next. We both smirked when we flashed a big fat zero - as in absolutely nothing planned for 2007. He is restricted with work and family. I've got a lot of things to sort out as well. I know I can post a better IM time, but I know I'm not really made for Ironman. My coach believes I can do some serious damage in the Olympic and half-IM distances. I definitely have the speed for the OLY, but with the length of the swim between an OLY and a HIM so small, I could really make it up on the bike and run in a HIM. Honestly right now I really just want to run. And that's my resolution for the new year.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes:

There will be some changes coming soon in my corner of blogland. Strap yourself in; it's going to be a fun ride.

Holidays:

Right now I don't have any deep Christmas thoughts that wouldn't sound cliche. So, give a listen to Cheech and Chong and click on the flash player above (if you haven't done so already).

Photo from AP

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Geminids

I am just coming back from a stargazing session. The Geminids were expected to peak right about now. My little digital camera can't handle astronomy photography, but I did shoot the moon rising in the east. It was a decent show tonight. We were out for about an hour and saw about 30 shooting stars. It was pretty awesome. I would recommend watching a meteor shower at least once in your life.




Does stargazing have anything to do with triathlons or training? Well I guess if I really dug deep I could make some connection.

Trifrog posted this a little while ago. I haven't done many triathlon type workouts since, ohh, September. Mentally I'm not quite the same as I was in the summertime when I was hopped up on endorphins and my brain was focused 24/7 on Ironman. Sitting out in the middle of a field in December at 3 am with a few dozen whitetail deer and hundreds of points of light is far from the world of triathlon. It made me realize that I really don't want a life that consists of eating, sleeping, breathing triathlon year round. I pretty much went twelve straight months of preparing for Ironman. That's the longest span of training that I've gone without a break. And I think my brain lost interest in triathlons, at least a little bit. Heresy? Maybe. But I've never went by the book anyways. I posted a list of a few things I wanted to do after I finished Ironman. Well I've done a few of those things and I have a few that I still want to cross off that list.

So as some of you are waking up to hit the pool or go out for a quick jog, I'm about to head off to bed. I won't be dreaming of swimming, biking, or running. My brain wants to wander off into the starry night sky and I'm totally all right with that...

RIP Achilles

Ugh, my Achilles is hosed.

He He. It's probably not what you think.

I don't have another physical ailment.

My laptop is named Achilles. Or was. Or well more accurately, Achilles was the name I dubbed the hard drive. And the hard drive is actually intact and capable of functioning. I believe somewhere on the motherboard something is physically shot and therefore rendering the whole computer comatose. I did some exploratory surgery but could not find the problem. I have deemed it a waste of money to have it professionally serviced. Although losing its usefulness a little earlier than hoped, Achilles has served me well for almost four years. It's spirit is in stasis and will be revived in the future. A new laptop was planned but not until around February/March. I will probably have to move that time frame up a bit.



So I dusted off my backup computer - an old Windows NT box named Kublai. And by old, I mean I assembled that thing in 1999; and the monitor is twelve years old. I even found a couple dust bunnies making their home inside the case. After finding some drivers and installing some other pieces of software and hardware, Kublai is set to roll again. He checks emails quite well, but the internet has morphed considerable since his heyday. I've got some blog reading to catch up on, but no more fancy schmancy video games; no more lightening fast internet browsing either.

I guess that means I need to get off my butt and train.