update

Was watching "Sicko" tonight, the most recent Michael Moore film and had to wonder about the US health care system, regardless of how biased a viewpoint Moore presents in this (and all) of his films. The only other Moore film I've seen is "Fahrenheit 9/11," which I strongly disliked because of how biased a portrayal his was...but mainly because at the time I disagreed with the message he was trying to get across to his viewers. Now, with "Sicko" I really do have to agree that the US system of medical care is bunk and in need of reform. Beyond that, my views are not more specific, nor do I have any idea what really needs to be done. Still, makes me want to live in the UK even more haha.

In other news, I was 'diagnosed' by a sports therapist with IT Band friction syndrome last Tuesday - something I knew was coming because I had pretty much figured it out by then doing extensive online research. I've been dealing with IT pain for 4 solid weeks now, and consequently my running consistency has suffered. I hit 60 miles 5 weeks ago and it's been downhill since, going ~47, 43, 35, 28, and now a slight increase back up to 35 again after the tightness has subsided slightly. Making sure to stretch very well at least once a day (sometimes two or three times) and using a foam roller and 'the stick' has definitely helped me recover although I'm sure it won't really heal until I take some time off from running (if then) and I won't be doing that until after Patriots, which is now only a short two weeks away.

I swam just over 10,000 meters this week and am definitely feeling it in my arms (and even my legs), something that I think slowed me down a bit in my most recent race on Saturday. I managed to pr by 19 seconds in the 5k but I feel as though I could have gone a good deal faster had my running not been so inconsistent and my swimming not so intense. Oh well, gotta git'r dun.

Driving

There are not many things more annoying to me than drivers who slow down and speed up repeatedly when I am around them on the interstate. When I get on a road that isn't too crowded I like to set the cruise control at about 5-7 mph over the speed limit and just get in the right lane and mosey down the road. I've hit stretches where I haven't even had to touch the brakes for over two hours; this isn't at 2am either, it's at fairly normal times during the day. What really irks me though, is when some moron will come flying by me and hop into the right lane then slow down. I move quickly up behind them and consequently have to pull into the left land and pass them, usually while they are talking on their cell phone or eating or doing something similar that does not require you to slow down. I pass them, move back into the right lane and keep going on my cruise control. Then, once they are done with whatever it is that they were doing they decide to speed back up and tailgate me for a bit as if they're expecting me to speed up just to sit them or are affronted by the fact that I passed them and then got in front of their car. As the car passes me the driver/passenger shoot me a look as if to say "what the f*** are you doing in front of me?"

Of course, not everyone does that. But I remember those that do and hate them.

Updates, yay

It's weird being around in Charlotte when I'm not working. It's not just that I feel lazy, it's that I feel as though I'm completely out of the loop. Knowing that as I sleep, exercise, and eat that life is going on much the same for everyone else. People are still working on the houses that I've been working on for the past couple of months; now it's just that I'm not doing it. It's different from a break in school because then you know everyone else is doing similar things. Maybe they've got a job of some sort but the common bond of attending school that you share is no longer present. Work is totally different. Or I guess it's just the 'real world.' I'm glad that I am not fully immersed in the 'real world' yet...although I feel as though it's getting closer.

I'm heading down to New Orleans for a week this Friday and plan on coming back to Charlotte where I'm not really sure what I'll do next as I won't really have that much time to just putz around before Greekfest and the start of work. I also really want to get in some solid blocks of training (12-15 hour weeks) in the month leading up to Patriots. I think I definitely need to concentrate on cycling and swimming because running is not likely to improve as much as those will if I put a decent amount of work into it andddd because my hamstring/right leg/hip whatever is really bothering me a lot right now. I'm really tempted to just take off from running through Sunday to see if I can get back to at least semi-healthy again. Playing softball tonight was difficult because it was bothering me so much. Not really sure what to make of it.

Swim

So I've finally discovered that I really like swimming. It only took me 23 years but it's a great way to get fitness in my upper body without having to lift weights, all the while contributing to aerobic fitness to a degree. I also look dead sexy in jammers.

It does get pretty boring swimming lap after lap of 25 meters but you do what you have to with a triathlon in 6 weeks and a 1500m open water swim in the James River looming over your head. I've also developed a fairly painful spot in my hamstring which leads me to believe that it's either a strain or some sort of pull, but I'm not really sure a pull can result in one tender spot. It seems to dissipate after about 30 minutes of running; not sure whether that is a good or bad thing. It's been bothering me for about a week now, so I'm thinking of taking a week off from running and concentrating on biking/swimming, both of which need some work.

My biking fitness is definitely coming around, however. I feel much, much stronger on the bike now than I did a month or two ago and my ability to power over short climbs and spin my way up longer ones has significantly improved. My recovery time is next to nothing on the bike as well, almost certainly a product of my running fitness.

I really have no idea what to expect from the triathlon in terms of results, but I think I can do the bike in under 1:15 (40k), as I know most of the roads very well and hopefully under :40 on the run (10k). More aggressive estimates would be in about 1:05-1:08 on the bike and :38-:39 on the run. Although I'm not so sure about the run because the Colonial Parkway is not built for fast times (running or biking, for that matter) with it's rolling profile and crappy surface.

I'm pretty excited, but also very, very nervous about the swim. I have no idea how a swim of that length will affect my biking/running. Should be fun.

Triathlete

I signed up for the Patriots International Triathlon on September 7 on Sunday night and just started swimming yesterday. Preparation for a 1500m open water swim will be short but hopefully with my only goal being to simply survive the swim I can get to that point in the month and a half that I have.

Patriots International (Williamsburg, VA)
1500m open water swim in James River
40km bike
10k run on Colonial Parkway (yuck, that's going to suck)

Anyone have a TT/Tri bike I could use? Ha, right.

More work

Tomorrow is the last official work day for the AmeriCorps here (if you've completed your required 1700 hours at that point), but I'll be here for another 2-3 weeks finishing my allotment. Bullshit.

Lots of work left

So I have ~120 hours left to complete in my AmeriCorps service term, which is a lot. That's a good 3 weeks of work right there, not taking any time off and that will mean that I'll be here about a week or two longer than any other of the AmeriCorps. I'm not a slacker, I just made the mistake of not keeping very close track of my hours for the first 4-5 months of work, thereby screwing myself out of a good deal of time. So that kind of sucks, as I'll only get 2-3 weeks off as opposed to a whole month.

I probably won't be racing again until late August at the Greekfest 5k just because I can't justify taking Saturdays off anymore. So that will mean that I'll more than likely miss James K Polk and Blue Points - at least one of which I would have done as a death workout (stay with the leaders as long as possible).