
Sunday
I'm not being modest.

Wednesday
Fundamentalist new-agers

Well, I'm here to tell you that I'm A-OK with things happening fast. I have severe asthma and don't think I'd like to wait 6 to 9 months to feel better. I take a kick-ass drug--an evil, western one, mind you--that has changed my life, and has had not more side effects than a temporary sensitivity to spicy foods the first year that I took it. I've been taking it for 3 years, and after years of using a rescue inhaler several times a day and going to the emergency room several times a year, I'm about 99% free from my symptoms and happy, thank you very much. And I didn't have to be open to it, or worry about my negative vibes. It just worked. Awesome.
I have a history of not being very popular around New Agers because of their love affair with crystals and my love affair with statistics. Plus, with a degree that included a lot of coursework in geology, I'm adept at studying a "crystal" and stating, with authority: this isn't a natural crystal, you know, it's man-made or stating blandly, you know, quartz crystals have the exact same chemical composition as window glass. You could meditate to your windows and save a whole lot of money.

An it's not that I'm against alternative methods, because I'm not. What I'm referring to is people who say that all western is corrupt, oppressive, and evil.
That's just silly.
Extremism of any kind is silly. Saying that you know the whole, complete truth and believing it is silly.
That's all I have to say. Thank you for letting me rant.
...
Sunday
Spike's Ride
Okay, if the difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry form, then I guess the same is
true of cycling? I did my first "ride" today: The annual Spike's Ride and his Roaring Chili festival. This is an event that raises money for the Museum of Natural History, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It wasn't a race, as we were constantly reminded--it's a ride, so have fun! And I did. Through one of Albuquerque's most beautiful neighborhoods (now I want to live there) across the Rio Grande and up onto the west mesa past the Petroglyphs park. I chose the 25-mile version; husband chose the 50 mile variety. My time: slow, as usual, but I had fun, and never stopped except to move my chain, which for some mysterious reason would not move off the middle front ring to the smallest ring when I was climbing the hill up out of the valley, but functioned fine after I got my hands all greesy. If you go to the link above it will take you to where the maps are.
Afterwards, we were treated to free messages and drinks from Whole Foods, as well as samples of New Mexican chili and tortillias from some of Albuquerque's finest restaurants. Yum. You wouldn't think a super spicy hot dish would be good after a ride like that but it was pretty fab. Beautiful day, too; the usualy crisp 20-ish or so percent humidity and temps in the sixties. Don't you wish you could live here?
Next up: the 4th Annual Tour de Acoma

Afterwards, we were treated to free messages and drinks from Whole Foods, as well as samples of New Mexican chili and tortillias from some of Albuquerque's finest restaurants. Yum. You wouldn't think a super spicy hot dish would be good after a ride like that but it was pretty fab. Beautiful day, too; the usualy crisp 20-ish or so percent humidity and temps in the sixties. Don't you wish you could live here?
Next up: the 4th Annual Tour de Acoma
Thursday
Will she do another one?

5k/30k/700m.
2 weeks to go!
Don't know if I"ll do as well in this one. Monstrously long swim. But I'll have fun trying. :-)
Saturday
Now I am a triathlete. (Race report)


As well, I'm paranoid about the lack of time I've spent on my bike. Every since I went back to work (teaching) I plan out these days that I'm going to ride or swim, and then there's some meeting, and I can't. For one, brief moment I even consider backing out. But I've told too many people. I can't back out now. In any case, I'm worried that I'll really suck, but then I remind myself of the 3 sacred goals of me, the Virgin Triathlete: 1) Finish, 2) Don't be dead last, and 3) Have a good time. On Thursday, the new tri suit arrives (the first one was sewn incorrectly and had to be returned) so my last excuse not to run is gone. Friday, I pack up the munchkin who will be in this triathlon with myself and Husband, and off we set for Lubbock.

Pull of the running shoes, strap on the "clipless" bike shoes, and I'off! As I round the last corner onto the straightaway a guy by the side of the road warns me of some ruts in the road, "don't let your tire catch!". I think that's what he said, anyway, so I thank him and ride out. I'm excited about sitting and riding a nice, flat 13 miles until I get out onto the main rural ride that comprises most of it: the wind is unbelievable. It's blowing in my face really hard with occasional gust from my left that push my back end sideways,

Maybe snapping my goggles into the hearing aid case wasn't such a great idea, because they kee


At the awards, son gets a 2nd place medal as an age-grouper. Husband takes 1st place in the Clydesdales (out of about 7 total; they are surprisingly competitive) and I get first place Athena, since I was the only athena. My total time was 1:39. Our 1st place trophies? Really cool little tiny bales of cotton with the race logo on them and "First Place" on it.
It is cotton country, after all. :-)
Monday
Officially a runner

But, boy, I need to run in the sun because I've been running in the dark,

The Ransom Canyon Tri starts with a 500 meter lake swim and then a bike ride that goes straight up out of the canyon. It's a real killer. Then you race across and down through another canyon (yellow horse, I think) and back again.
One more week to go until the Cotton Country Tri. I find that a seam in my tri suit was sewn incorrectly and it's coming apart. A paniced call to the store and they're sending a replacement. Hopefully it will get here before Friday, we we leave for Levelend. I still think I'll set a Triathlon record for slowness. But I know I'll finish.
On a positive note, I'm down to about 159 lbs (about 72 kilos). My lowest since I started. Size 12 and headed for a size 10. Still a large, though. If I lose 10 more pounds, I'll no longer be an Athena. Husband has ordered to get copious pictures of me this Saturday, getting body markings and all. That may be all there is for pictures, since Husband and Son are both running in this with me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
Okay. Well, I'm not going to know how things went until my classes start at 9 am. It appears that the substitutes haven't followed ...
-
So, I've got this thing in my left ankle that I felt the first stirrings of when I was running downhill from the La Luz trailhead. Then ...
-
There are some signs that something unusual happened this past weekend: my back is a little stiff, I have a little blister on one toe that i...