The Oracle/Catalina/Oro Valley Marathon (officially known as the “Tucson Marathon)
Last Sunday, I participated, for the third time in this event (my 10th official marathon – 15th if you count coaching). And it went pretty well. As usual, it was cold and dark at the starting area, but at least they let us stay on the buses, which were heated. And as usual, the general downhillness of the course pretty much thrashed my legs. I was cruising along pretty well for the first ten miles or so – even thinking I might have an outside shot at hitting another 3:30 if all went well – but as soon as we turned off the highway and onto Biosphere Road for a 4-mile out-and-back (and started running up a hill for the first time in about 6 miles) I knew that wasn’t going to happen, mainly because my hips started barking at me – and they were pretty loud and pretty insistent. They continued to yip, yap, and yelp for the final 16.2 miles. First one would raise a ruckus, then that one would settle down and the other one would start up. But it was still a good day, and I almost hit my goal time of 3:45 (finished just a smidge over 3:48). The weather was beautiful (a little too warm, if anything), my calf held up all the way through (made sure to walk up the hill that thrashed it last year), and I didn’t feel totally wrecked at the end – even managed to do the last mile in around 8:30, which is a pretty strong finish for me. The typical 24-48 hour-after-running-a-marathon soreness kicked in right on schedule, but I went for a swim Tuesday morning, then a very slow, very short shuffle-run on Tuesday afternoon, and those seemed to work out most of the kinks. My favorite part of the whole thing, as it is every year, was the annual letter-of-complaint in yesterday’s newspaper from a grumpy retiree living in the area along the marathon route (this year’s edition was complaining that the marathon ruined the “overall atmosphere” of their golf tournament because participants were forced to wait in traffic while leaving the golf course – can you hear my heart is weeping for these poor, grumpy people?). So now we’re gearing up for the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon in Phoenix in January (where I’ll coach and Katie will run for time) and I’ll jump back into my training for the 50-miler in March by hitting the trails as much as possible.
I’ve got gas… and I’m happy about it
If you read last week’s entry, you might remember we had a gas leak, which led to having our gas cut off, which meant no heat or hot water for at least a week. It’s actually turned out to be a week-and-a-half (but who’s counting). The good news is that the weather gods have been smiling on us, and we enjoyed temperatures in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s the whole time (and there’s a storm moving in today – yeah!) so not having a furnace wasn’t really an issue. And we learned to adjust to the whole cold shower thing. All you need to do is heat up a big old pan full of water, set it next to the shower, use a cup to dump it on your head, and voila – you’ve got a makeshift shower ready to go. We only ran into a couple of issues while fixing the gas leak, the biggest one being another leak that was between the entry to the house and the furnace (it wasn’t really leaking, but the line wouldn’t hold the pressure when they pumped it up to the level required for the inspection). So they wound up replacing that line as well, and we’ve now got all new gas lines for the house that hold way more pressure than they’ll ever need to. Yesterday, we passed the inspection with flying colors, and the gas company is supposed to be coming out this morning to turn everything back on. Needless to say, I am really, really, really looking forward to a nice steamy shower this evening after my run.
More on the kitchen
The other good news is they started putting in our cabinets yesterday, and they look fabulously wonderful (or wonderfully fabulous, whichever you prefer). The upper cabinets are in place, and they’re installing the lowers tomorrow. It’s actually starting to look a lot like a kitchen again – I think I’d forgotten what one of those was. Katie went out and spent more of our money yesterday on the new stove and microwave, and if all goes well, we might actually have the appliances back in place before the end of the year, although I’m not sure I’m actually going to be able to bring myself to use them – everything is going to be so nice and new that I’m afraid I’ll be hesitant to touch anything. Until then, I just keep telling myself, “It will all be worth it in the end,” and trying to ignore our rapidly deflating savings account. As Katie keeps reminding me, “It’s only money,” which I have never really believed before, and I don’t really believe now, and I doubt if I’ll ever really believe in the future, but I will keep trying to make myself believe, because it’s a much happier world to live in than the one where money does matter and your stack is being burned through at an alarming rate.
That’s all for now, so until next time, may your furnace keep pumping out heat, may your hot water heater keep pumping out hot water, and may your days (and nights) be filled with holiday cheer.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Gas Lines, Triathlons, and the End of the Cave
I Got No Gas
This might seem like a good thing, but when the gas you're missing is natural gas, and when the reason you don't got none is because your gas line is broken, and when you've got a gas furnace and gas water heater that you count on for heating up the house and heating up the water, it ain't so great. So we discovered the gas leak when our contractor was out looking for the water main, so he could shut off the water to the house so they could fix the pipe that created our cave (which he found, which he shut off, which they repaired, which they filled in, and which they cemented over), and the gas company wasted no time coming over and shutting off our gas (I guess they have some kind of concern about a minor problem like, I don't know, someone lighting a match and blowing up a good portion of the neighborhood). So then we had to wait a couple of days for the utility companies to come out and mark their lines so that we could dig a new trench for a new gas line to replace the old gas line that had a leak. That got done, and now we've got a beautiful trench running across our backyard. The good news is that while all this is being done, we're enjoying a beautiful stretch of days with temps in the upper 70's, so the "no heat" part isn't really a problem. But cold showers just aren't a lot of fun. Hopefully, we'll be up and running again by the middle of next week.
Speaking of running…
Tomorrow, I'll be participating in the Tucson marathon, which ironically enough starts in Oracle, continues to Catalina, and ends in Oro Valley (which means, technically, none of it takes place in Tucson). I'm hoping for a nice medium-hard run, which means I should be able to finish somewhere under four hours (3:45 would be great).
Speaking of running (and cycling, and swimming…)
I just signed up for another fund-raising season with Team in Training. So during the next couple of months, I'll be once again raising money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. During the past five years, Katie and I have raised around $25,000 thanks to the generous donations sent in from a variety of friends, family, colleagues, and other assorted characters. My official event this go-round is the Deuceman triathlon, which is a half-ironman (yes, now that Katie's done one, I feel obligated to give it a go) and takes place in beautiful Show Low, Arizona in June. So in addition to continuing to help coach our marathon team (getting ready for marathons in San Diego and Anchorage), I'll be training for the 50-miler in March, then I'll start putting in some miles on the bike so I'm ready for the tri (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and a half-marathon). The good news is I don't have to worry about what I'm going to be doing on the weekends (and most days before/after school) for the next half-year. Once I've got my fundraising site set up and ready to go, I'll be actively soliciting donations from all of you - so get those checkbooks/credit cards warmed up and ready to go, cause I just know you're eager to lend a hand (seriously, your continued support is appreciated more than I can express).
And now, a kitchen update
It's actually starting to come together. Once the whole "cave" issue was cleared up, the guys came in and put up the walls and ceilings, and the whole room got painted yesterday, so it looks pretty good. We've got the cabinets scheduled to be installed next week, and once they're in, they can take a template for the counter, retile the parts of the floor that had to be torn out, and put some of the appliances in. So Katie and I will be doing some stove/microwave/faucet/light fixture shopping this weekend. If all goes well (can't imagine how anything could go wrong - can you?) we should actually be nearing completion of the whole project when we ring in the new year. Keep your fingers crossed.
I've got to head out for the expo to pick up my number, t-shirt (hoping for a technical tee this year) and timing chip, so until next time, may your gas continue to flow freely, may your pleas for assistance be heard and heeded in a timely fashion, and may your days remain sunny and clear.
This might seem like a good thing, but when the gas you're missing is natural gas, and when the reason you don't got none is because your gas line is broken, and when you've got a gas furnace and gas water heater that you count on for heating up the house and heating up the water, it ain't so great. So we discovered the gas leak when our contractor was out looking for the water main, so he could shut off the water to the house so they could fix the pipe that created our cave (which he found, which he shut off, which they repaired, which they filled in, and which they cemented over), and the gas company wasted no time coming over and shutting off our gas (I guess they have some kind of concern about a minor problem like, I don't know, someone lighting a match and blowing up a good portion of the neighborhood). So then we had to wait a couple of days for the utility companies to come out and mark their lines so that we could dig a new trench for a new gas line to replace the old gas line that had a leak. That got done, and now we've got a beautiful trench running across our backyard. The good news is that while all this is being done, we're enjoying a beautiful stretch of days with temps in the upper 70's, so the "no heat" part isn't really a problem. But cold showers just aren't a lot of fun. Hopefully, we'll be up and running again by the middle of next week.
Speaking of running…
Tomorrow, I'll be participating in the Tucson marathon, which ironically enough starts in Oracle, continues to Catalina, and ends in Oro Valley (which means, technically, none of it takes place in Tucson). I'm hoping for a nice medium-hard run, which means I should be able to finish somewhere under four hours (3:45 would be great).
Speaking of running (and cycling, and swimming…)
I just signed up for another fund-raising season with Team in Training. So during the next couple of months, I'll be once again raising money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. During the past five years, Katie and I have raised around $25,000 thanks to the generous donations sent in from a variety of friends, family, colleagues, and other assorted characters. My official event this go-round is the Deuceman triathlon, which is a half-ironman (yes, now that Katie's done one, I feel obligated to give it a go) and takes place in beautiful Show Low, Arizona in June. So in addition to continuing to help coach our marathon team (getting ready for marathons in San Diego and Anchorage), I'll be training for the 50-miler in March, then I'll start putting in some miles on the bike so I'm ready for the tri (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and a half-marathon). The good news is I don't have to worry about what I'm going to be doing on the weekends (and most days before/after school) for the next half-year. Once I've got my fundraising site set up and ready to go, I'll be actively soliciting donations from all of you - so get those checkbooks/credit cards warmed up and ready to go, cause I just know you're eager to lend a hand (seriously, your continued support is appreciated more than I can express).
And now, a kitchen update
It's actually starting to come together. Once the whole "cave" issue was cleared up, the guys came in and put up the walls and ceilings, and the whole room got painted yesterday, so it looks pretty good. We've got the cabinets scheduled to be installed next week, and once they're in, they can take a template for the counter, retile the parts of the floor that had to be torn out, and put some of the appliances in. So Katie and I will be doing some stove/microwave/faucet/light fixture shopping this weekend. If all goes well (can't imagine how anything could go wrong - can you?) we should actually be nearing completion of the whole project when we ring in the new year. Keep your fingers crossed.
I've got to head out for the expo to pick up my number, t-shirt (hoping for a technical tee this year) and timing chip, so until next time, may your gas continue to flow freely, may your pleas for assistance be heard and heeded in a timely fashion, and may your days remain sunny and clear.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Mileage, Caves, and Trail-Running with the Stars
Mission Accomplished
With very little fanfare, almost no pomp, and a definite lack of circumstance, I surpassed my goal for running 2010 miles in the year 2010 last weekend. According to my scrupulously kept records, I passed the 2010-mile mark about halfway up the Phoneline trail in Sabino Canyon. To make the momentous occasion even more memorable, I celebrated with a big swig of Gatorade and a bite of peanut butter flavored Clif bar. Woo-hoo. This was so momentous and meaningful that I think I’ll go for 2011 next year (since it will be 2011 next year – get it?).
The Cave - Continued
Some of you may be familiar with Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” which is relevant to this entry because, as some of you may already know, we currently have a cave under our kitchen. On the other hand, the more I think about it, the more I realize that Plato’s allegory is all about how perception and reality aren’t necessarily one and the same, which may or may not fit the situation we find ourselves in – I mean, I perceive that there’s a cave under our kitchen, and there really is a cave under our kitchen, so maybe it’s not all that relevant to our situation, other than the pretty obvious fact that both situations involve caves. Unfortunately, we learned this week that our insurance won’t cover taking care of the cave under our kitchen, because it was caused by a leaking pipe that’s outside of the foundation of the house. Which I really, really, really, didn’t appreciate in the least – I mean, isn’t the whole point of having insurance so that when something goes wrong, like, oh, I don’t know, you discover that you have a cave under your kitchen, they swoop in and save the day by helping you pay to repair whatever went wrong? I guess it’s one of those grandly ironic situations that I would probably appreciate a lot more if it wasn’t happening to me, but insurance seems to be one of those things you need to have until you actually need to have it. But that’s neither here nor there in the greater grand scheme of things, but it is a definite drainer on the ol’ bank account. Right now, we’re planning to open up the entrance to the cave so we can spelunk on in and take a look around in order to assess the size of the situation. Hopefully, it only is as big as we’re currently able to see. If not, this could become really, really, really ugly. Stay posted – I’m sure there will be more on this in the future (and if you’re interested, I posted a couple of pictures of the cave on facebook).
Ultra-ing
As I begin to train seriously for the 50-miler (is there any other way to train for a 50-miler? Half-heartedly? Joyfully? Spectacularly?) I’ve decided it might be a good idea to start doing some of my running on trails (since a lot of the event is on trails, this seems like it might be a good idea). So, as noted above, I took a little run up the Phoneline trail in Sabino Canyon, which I figured would be a pretty easy way to get started, but I have to say that running on a trail is way harder than running on the road – partly because it’s steep at times, and partly because there’s lots of rocks, and partly because you have to really pay attention to every footfall, and partly because you’re taking all these little mini-steps and having to walk in certain parts and you can’t really shuffle along because if you try to do that you’ll probably wind up stubbing your toe on a rock (which hurts your toe, and if you trip and fall, could wind up hurting other body parts as well). So I made it to the end of the trail, and then I ran down the road to the parking lot, and then I ran back up the road to the end of the road, and then I ran back down the road to the parking lot, and then I was really, really tired so I called it a day. And my legs definitely were feeling it the next morning.
I’m all out of ideas for this edition, so until next time, may your floors remain solid and unfettered, may your trails remain smooth, and may your insurance remain unclaimed (unless you need it).
With very little fanfare, almost no pomp, and a definite lack of circumstance, I surpassed my goal for running 2010 miles in the year 2010 last weekend. According to my scrupulously kept records, I passed the 2010-mile mark about halfway up the Phoneline trail in Sabino Canyon. To make the momentous occasion even more memorable, I celebrated with a big swig of Gatorade and a bite of peanut butter flavored Clif bar. Woo-hoo. This was so momentous and meaningful that I think I’ll go for 2011 next year (since it will be 2011 next year – get it?).
The Cave - Continued
Some of you may be familiar with Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” which is relevant to this entry because, as some of you may already know, we currently have a cave under our kitchen. On the other hand, the more I think about it, the more I realize that Plato’s allegory is all about how perception and reality aren’t necessarily one and the same, which may or may not fit the situation we find ourselves in – I mean, I perceive that there’s a cave under our kitchen, and there really is a cave under our kitchen, so maybe it’s not all that relevant to our situation, other than the pretty obvious fact that both situations involve caves. Unfortunately, we learned this week that our insurance won’t cover taking care of the cave under our kitchen, because it was caused by a leaking pipe that’s outside of the foundation of the house. Which I really, really, really, didn’t appreciate in the least – I mean, isn’t the whole point of having insurance so that when something goes wrong, like, oh, I don’t know, you discover that you have a cave under your kitchen, they swoop in and save the day by helping you pay to repair whatever went wrong? I guess it’s one of those grandly ironic situations that I would probably appreciate a lot more if it wasn’t happening to me, but insurance seems to be one of those things you need to have until you actually need to have it. But that’s neither here nor there in the greater grand scheme of things, but it is a definite drainer on the ol’ bank account. Right now, we’re planning to open up the entrance to the cave so we can spelunk on in and take a look around in order to assess the size of the situation. Hopefully, it only is as big as we’re currently able to see. If not, this could become really, really, really ugly. Stay posted – I’m sure there will be more on this in the future (and if you’re interested, I posted a couple of pictures of the cave on facebook).
Ultra-ing
As I begin to train seriously for the 50-miler (is there any other way to train for a 50-miler? Half-heartedly? Joyfully? Spectacularly?) I’ve decided it might be a good idea to start doing some of my running on trails (since a lot of the event is on trails, this seems like it might be a good idea). So, as noted above, I took a little run up the Phoneline trail in Sabino Canyon, which I figured would be a pretty easy way to get started, but I have to say that running on a trail is way harder than running on the road – partly because it’s steep at times, and partly because there’s lots of rocks, and partly because you have to really pay attention to every footfall, and partly because you’re taking all these little mini-steps and having to walk in certain parts and you can’t really shuffle along because if you try to do that you’ll probably wind up stubbing your toe on a rock (which hurts your toe, and if you trip and fall, could wind up hurting other body parts as well). So I made it to the end of the trail, and then I ran down the road to the parking lot, and then I ran back up the road to the end of the road, and then I ran back down the road to the parking lot, and then I was really, really tired so I called it a day. And my legs definitely were feeling it the next morning.
I’m all out of ideas for this edition, so until next time, may your floors remain solid and unfettered, may your trails remain smooth, and may your insurance remain unclaimed (unless you need it).
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