my bags are packed

i am off to south-east asia. it is a really long way away. the flight later today is around 15 and a half hours. luckily i haven't really been able to sleep today as i worked from 2-12 (well really 1 by the time i was done) then came back, packed and cleaned up a little. now i am just going to have a little snack and then get a short nap. sleep on the plane.

let's hope the weather gets a little better. i looked at the radar today, it is kind of wet. maybe by the time that i get there in about 2 days it will improve. let's hope so.

oh, so my random thought for the day. so, there is a law in chicago, and I assume the rest of the country that when your dog or other animal takes a crap on the sidewalk that it is your responsibility to pick up said crap. why then, is it permissible for cops to ride around on their horses and allow them to crap all over the side walk without even blinking or thinking that it might be a good idea to clean up after them. they are little land mines when running or biking and i am sick of playing dodgeball with the little turdlets. it is just reprehensible.

that's all for now. i will try to update from the other side of the world.

talk to you soon.

happy passover

i already dislike matzoh, arrgh its going to be long week. maybe i just won't eat any. well the people that i really feel sorry for are those that are running boston tomorrow. trying to carbo load with that stuff...they might never have a bowel movement ever again. the things we do for religion. and by religion i mean triathlon or other endurance sports.

it looks like the weather is taking a turn for the better in the next couple of days. i worked last night, slept 6 hours, woke up, ran 7 miles, slept 2 hours, woke up again, now getting ready to go to work. i think i might liberate my bike from its trainer wheel tomorrow and take it back outside. should be about 70. that will be after a short nap in the morning.

8 hours and 8 minutes this week...i am going to have to add on some serious time when i get back from vacation, anyone know where i can find some free time? if you happen to find any for me please let me know, i am looking.

ok, back to work, cross your fingers that it will be decent. but it can't be too bad, i am going to ride my bike to work, just like elementary school when everything was good...

cubs win again, holy cow

tale of the numbers

1 - cub games i have gone to this year
2 - lenses for my camera i have bought recently (just a tad bit of buyer's remorse right now but i am sure that will change when i actually have it in my hands and am taking pictures halfway around the world)
3 - days until dinner with family
4 - shifts to work until i go on vacation
6 - days until i get on a plane to fly half way around the world

i went on an 11 mile run this week. 11 miles, i didn't run 11 miles last year until the middle of july. felt great afterwards, even the next day too. i am a full 3 months ahead of my training from last year and i haven't really even been able to log than many consistent outside miles. the best part of the run...the sun was out, it got up to 70 degrees, it was almost as if it was summer. but not to get my hopes up too quickly it got cold again the next day. soon, soon, in due time it will be consistently good weather.

its late, i am going to sleep. i work overnights on saturday and sunday. i'll see what training i can do over the weekend, it is always hard when working a string of nights and my body gets confused. hopefully a ride on monday (mostly sunny and 70), maybe try and get in a swim and a run before then. any workout would be a bonus. hard to ride on the weekend especially if the weather is nice as too many randoms out there.

hopefully work will be decent this weekend, we shall see, maybe i'll have a good story come monday

cubs win (10 and 6)

I've Been Busy

i've had a busy couple of days. work has kept me out of trouble, but has also kept me away from the computer.

yesterday was a 3K swim and today a 40 mile bike ride. so this whole global warming thing...anytime now, it is mid april and 40 degrees, i mean seriously. i'm out of new movies to watch on the computrainer and i just want to be outside. the ride today was great, averaged 2omph and was flying the last 15 minutes, HR averaged 135.

i'm just about finished planning my trip to southeast asia. today i made one more trip to target to get all of the medications and other sundry stuff that i will need on the trip on the other half of the world. did you know that they made mosquito repellent with 100% DEET? i thought that high of a concentration would just melt off the skin. needless to say i did not opt for that version. the 30% will work just fine.

my new lens arrived on friday. i had a chance to take it out for a test drive today. i haven't had a chance to closely look at all of the pictures but so far the ones i have been able to view appear really sharp. the color is good. next test is with less light to see the full capabilities of the f/2.8 and the image stabilization. i think i am going to get a bunch of keepers from this trip.

i brought the lens on its first assignment to wrigley field today. the light was just a tad bit harsh, oh well. i really just wanted to find the brick, after hearing about it for so long i figured it was the perfect mission for the camera. and i think it succeeded. anyway, for those of you farther away than me (2 blocks) here is a picture of the brick

not much to say

good day of training
7 miles 1:01:03 - 8:43 min/mile
the fastest i have run that distance, and it felt good
heart rate monitor stopped transmitting half-way through the run... or my heart wasn't beating...yea not likely, maybe it is time to seriously look into that new HRM i have been thinking about getting anyway.

cubs win

riding to work

today i finally was able to ride my bike to work. i felt like i was in elementary school again. i packed my bag the night before, donned my helmet (i don't think we had those things when i was in elementary school), turned on my lights, all 4 of them - 2 in front, 2 in back, and out the door i went. now one might say that 4 lights might be a little much, but i was going to be seen. needless to say, despite my candlepower, some moron in an SUV almost didn't see me. anyway i get off of the streets and onto the bike-highway, aka the lakefront path. no traffic today for my commute. now granted i left my house just after 6. the path was peaceful. over lake michigan the sun was rising. a picture perfect orange hue glowing over the far side of the lake. a couple people were out taking pictures, some running, i think one walking home from last night... about 3/4 of the way i was able to turn off my front lights. i got to work and took the best parking spot, (well for a bike at least), right outside the front door. it definitely made work more relaxing and calming today.

on the way home the ride was just as nice, this time with the wind at my back and the path scattered with chicago's finest. today i met "i'm important so i will run down the center line", "i'm going to wait for oncoming traffic before i decide to turn my child in her stroller across the path". i'm thinking of trying to find a way to jury-rig my camera to my handlebar to capture some of the mayhem, i'll work on that for some other time.

training
today was a recovery day. i'll count my ride to work as something. more mileage tomorrow.

cubs win

finally some nice weather

i was finally able to get my bike off of my computrainer today. high 50's, sunny, warm, wind from the south, couldn't have asked for a much better day. apparently nor could the rest of the city. i swear everyone came out from the woodwork. the path was crowded, i guess i forgot my old mantra to never ride on the path on the weekend. anyway, it was still a perfect day.

brings the grand total for the past 3 days to
9 miles running
71 miles cycling

tomorrow i am going to try to commute to work on my bike. it's all tricked out with new lights, a new lock, and a fender. i've got some windpants and a windjacket to help fight the cold on the way downtown tomorrow. just trying to hold off filling my gas tank for one more day...

now i just have to find some people to read my tangential and often random thoughts.

cubs win

getting my act together

i have been trying to create this blog for a while. mainly it has been stalled due to a lack of creativity. however, i am going to give it a shot. i mean if silly famous people can have a blog then why can't i? it might turn into all things triathlon, or maybe even a place to show some photographs from upcoming trips. who knows...

welcome, and enjoy