Cheaters suck

If you’ve been paying any attention at all to the unfolding of the Tour de France, you’ll know by now that one of the riders, who won two stages, has been kicked out for doping. Ricardo Ricci, an Italian rider, who idolizes Marco “the pirate” Pantani who was a great cyclist in his time but was plagued with drug use charges and died in 2004 of a cocaine overdose. Not that you should be judged by the company you keep but it may be an indication of the path you choose. Back to the Tour. I’ve been watching the stages (including the Pau-Hautacam that includes the Col de Tourmelet) on Versus on TiVo each day and in the past, a group of friends who are also cycling addicts used to do exactly what is pictured below, try to pick each day’s stage winner. Its a great way to stay engaged in the tour, analyze the stage, figure out who’s birthday it is, whether its a sprint or a mt. stage and finally, who’s still in the game (I think once I picked a rider who’d abandoned). I enjoy watching the Tour but finally I’m disillusioned enough to stop caring so much. I still love the color commentary and the scenery that is just amazing but have finally lost faith that the riders themselves are all that they seem to be. I don’t like watching baseball or football nearly as much as hockey and cycling or even soccer because the first two are so obviously rife with drug users while the latter tend not to be so artifical. But here I am sitting on the couch, with Paul and Phil telling me all about the break away and how Mark Cavendish won’t finish the tour so he can be fresh for the Beijing Olympics. The crowds are thick and it seems that despite the continuing scandal that spectators aren’t turning their backs on the riders who remain in the Tour. The recent report of 17 teams not renewing their Pro licenses which means that they won’t be able to participate in any Pro races organized by ICU so we’ll wait to see what happens for the 2009 pro series.

Take Back the Tour

pick your winners with Bobke. Make sure you know who’s still in the race!

Barb’s race is fast approaching; are YOU ready?

In a few weeks we’ll be headed back to California for a week (or 10 days if you’re counting) to participate in the triathlon-fest that is Vineman/Barb’s Race on the first Saturday in August. Maybe its because I’ve been training nearly constantly since February or because its Summer but whatever the reason, I’m not feeling that I’m in tip-top shape especially where running is concerned. The hip pain is back (not that I’ve been good about stretching or anything) and I’ve started feeling some tightness in my right Achelies. Maybe I’m just getting old…or lazy.

On the work front, I’m trying to get organized to hit the next two races head on. Luray is in mid-August and Savageman is in mid-September. And on the “day job” front, I’m dreading being sucked into a black hole of a project that is the poster child for how not to create and manage a project. My challenge is deciding on how much I’m willing to get sucked into this project and sacrifice my sanity.

The Muddy Buddy, not quite mud wrestling but close

This morning was our 2nd running of the Muddy Buddy and this year we brought friends. We made it to packet pickup on time (vs last year when we got there just in time to see them packing up the truck to go home), found a nice brew house with an outdoor patio for tasty low key dinner, and had a fairly uneventful time getting to the race venue. This year’s course seemed slightly longer and a bit tougher. We were a combined age of 76 and managed to finish in about 55 min and change. The 15 ft slide was still the best part and the mud pit wasn’t as long but the mud was much more gooey this time. Can’t wait to see photos!

We arrived home to see R and E working on the windows (yea!!) and Toby supervising. No more windows sitting in the dining room but the trim work still needs to be done.

Finally rode the fixie to work

Proving that I can follow through with a goal when I want to but in the process also discovered that a fixed gear bike may be pretty cool but isn’t the safest machine for navigating traffic. Nearly collided with a “soccer mom” (which I’ve also learned is synonymous with “inattentive driver”) but avoided any permanent damage to either party. Arrived in about the same amount of time as if I had taken the bus but with a bunch more hassle. Although given my experience on the X2 yesterday (50 something angry man inciting a riot which broke out into a fist fight on the bus) it was much less stressful of a commute.

While its only a 3 mile commute, somehow I managed to break more than just a mild sweat and felt all gooey after changing out of my commuting clothes. Any suggestions for appropriate commuter wear to avoid the post-ride “dew”?

One of the things that has been making me a bit of a nervous urban cyclist recently is a rash of stories involving auto vs cyclist that never end well. For example, road rage in LA and cyclist vs trash truck in DC, just illustrate how vulnerable cyclists are in a city that tends to ignore or dismiss them. Oh to live in Copenhagen where bikes rule.

We’re off to Richmond tomorrow to participate in the Muddy Buddy race. No post race beer garden (we didn’t partake last year so I won’t miss it) but they’re serving pizza…fun times!

I’m tired

Its 8 a.m. and I’ve already run about 3 miles and swam for about 2k yds [or just over a mile], but that’s just the beginning of me being tired.

I’m tired of being out of town almost every weekend, I’m tired of not having a full refrigerator of the usual things, I’m tired of the house being in disarray because the windows aren’t yet installed, I’m tired of treating my training like a job, I’m tired of feeling like I’ve forgotten something important because I’m constantly overbooking myself, I’m tired of time slipping through my fingers, I’m tired of going to a underwhelming job daily, I’m tired of being tired.

I’m not eating well, I feel crappy and lacking any shred of energy or enthusiasm, and my usual sunny disposition is missing (have you seen it?).

I’m sure most of you are tired for all sorts of reasons [newborns, job hunting, training, stress, you name it]. This will pass but for the moment I’m kind of in a funk of exhaustion.

What do YOU want to be when you grow up?

I may be experiencing a mid-life crisis a bit early since I’m approaching 40 (Jan 09, make note of the date, I expect big things to happen) but expect to live to 100, I shouldn’t be experiencing this for another 10 years or so. But in life, there are only a handful of things you can actually control and apparently this isn’t one of them. There was a time post undergrad (early 90s, I was just 21) when I was chock full of exuberance, energy, optimism, and willing to put in some serious hours working for a cause. Whether it be providing customer service at IKEA (really tough) or covering really bad loans for a Japanese wholesale bank, or ordering and expediting interior design furnishings for a high end firm in Costa Mesa, I seemed to have endless drive to do good work. Even when I started working for the Executive Branch of the Federal Government, there was purpose to my work and motivation to dive headlong into it.

Lately, there is less and less of that excitement and enthusiasm to hit the daily grind and more and more reason to pursue outside interests. I’ve never been one to define myself by how I earn a living so the question most asked in DC is “what do you do”? which to me is a weird thing to ask. My answer is usually pretty diverse. I exercise almost as much as most people do a part time job, I spend quality time with friends and family, I spend time with a very loyal dog who is usually very well behaved, and I travel a great deal. How I earn a living is a totally different question with a really different answer. I earn a living doing marketing and communications for the federal government, in an area that deals with international trade. It used to be something I was quite passionate about but I think I’ve hit the peak of the drive and while its been long time to move on, where to move to has always been a mystery.

My perception is that nearly everyone who is somewhat career minded and concerned with establishing that work/life balance periodically examines the connection between what they do for a living and their core values to see if they mesh well. Currently, mine do not. I enjoy working with people, solving problems, providing solutions, helping to communicate value, and generally listening to what folks have to say and simplifying their message so that its well received. I started reading “Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow” this morning and it feels familiar in that I’ve done the whole soul searching to know who I am and where my strengths lie and I’m no closer to an answer than I was years ago when this first came up. I did the whole Artist’s Way with a group of friends, and those 13 weeks were inspirational. I made many life changes based on the experiences from that book and wondered why I’d spent so much time in therapy when the answers were all waiting to be unearthed within myself. I have the answers, I just don’t think I’m asking the right questions. I’m a bit clouded in being able to see the path to the ultimate goal of being fulfilled in career and overall life. This is a temporary state as I’m not one to rest on my past successes and be happy. Forward momentum and progress is always a desired goal! I’m still trying to discover what I’m supposed to BE when I grow up. Anyone out there got it figured out?

The Tour, when to retire a swim suit, and a 41 yr old Olympian

Despite all the doping claims in cycling, the Tour began on Saturday and I got to watch the very end. The sprint finish is always so much fun to watch and with all the new teams [and old teams who are getting more attention because the big guns aren't present] such as Team Columbia (formerly known as Highroad) and Garmin-Chipotle, formerly known as Slipstream-Chipotle. Slipstream is still a sponsor but obviously not as big as Garmin. As previously discussed, no Big Tom Boonen but we still have the rest of the sprinters to watch such as Thor, Robby Mc Ewin, Stuart O’Grady, Robby Hunter and all the others race for the Green Jersey. Its anyone’s guess as to who the overall winner will be and it will still be fun to watch. I don’t think I’ll be listening to Eurosport like I’ve done in the past to hear the 4 hrs of cycling every day, but there’s loads of other sports to watch, such as the Olympic time trials.

We were at a local sports bar last night and while the other 7 TVs were tuned to various baseball games and other typical sporting events, we were watching the swimming and track and field U.S. trials, where 41 year old Dara Tores earned a second event on the 2008 Olympic team, making her the oldest U.S. swimmer in history and Beijing will be her 5th trip to the Olympics. How very cool and fun to watch. Go mature moms!! She looks like she could pass for someone 1/2 her age.

And on another swim-related note, be careful to always test out your swim wear at home and in a mirror both wet and dry. Apparently I’ve been guilty of indecent exposure recently because my current training suit is worn out. Didn’t realize this until J and I went swimming at the beach and he point-blank told me that I had NO coverage whatsoever. I’ll apologize now to anyone who was offended in my ignorance. Now I get to develop a way to test out how to check yourself for too thin bike shorts to save any riders you pass from gazing at your crack…its an avoidable incident and responsible cyclists should take steps to protect others from the view.

New boobs

Yesterday was a good day since I got to see my great frind B (not her real name) and her husband. She and I have been friends since elementary school and have a whole lot of history, albeit lately in diffferent time zones and sometimes on differenet continents. She and I both love to travel. The 14 mos preceeding their wedding, the two spent time on several cruise ships providing entertainment (they’re both dancers, entertainers, very talented, she hangs from silks 30ft off the ground now) and were able to see most of the countries of the Medeterranian, Baltic and Carribean. Pretty cool. Anyway, besides being able to catch up with them the highlight of their visit came at the very end when she showed me her boob.

We have a boob thing. When we were in college, she didn’t have much in the way of cleveage but she started taking birth control and voila! boobs were the side effect. She showed me hers then too. We used to bra shop together and it was clear that we don’t wear the same style. She’s all perky and can wear those cute push up things and I’m more bottom heavy and its effort to create real cleavage for me. 

Well, this past Feb, she had a mastectomy on the right boob (for some reason I kept thinking it was the left…but I’m wrong). Surgery went well and she’s back to performing but in preparation for reconstruction, her doctors put a spacer in the affected boob and have gradually expanded it preparing for an implant. The spacer is hard…like rock hard. I hugged her and thought she was carrying a consealed weapon. Anyway, not only did she show me the progress, but I felt the spacer and she described the process AND the fact that her kick-ass doctors were able to keep the nipple is unusual. She’s in some test group. I always knew that she was a fighter, a very determined and directed individual but she’s also very strong and doesn’t take the first answer she gets. She knows what she wants and will do the research, reading, talk to people to find the right information to match her needs. She’s a superhero who flys through the air and an inspiration to me.

I hope she wears the new bra and panties I gave her in the ultimate good health!

Its free agent day!

Its summer but there’s still hockey news going on. Today is the day that unrestricted free agents are allowed to entertain offers from teams other than ones they currently are signed to. The Caps have a number of unrestricted free agents who they’d like to keep on their roster. There are those in the know who can elaborate much more knowledgably than I and do so at onfrozenblog.com and Capitals Insider.