"Worthless"

While cleaning I found something I had feared I had lost: a pair of 100-peso notes from the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. Now here is evidence that the value of an object is tied purely to mutual agreement among buyers and sellers. A 100-dollar bill from the 1940s would still be worth at least 100 dollars today -- probably more due to desirability to collectors.

In contrast, an eBay search of completed items suggests that my bills are only worth a couple of American dollars now. But I think I would like to hold on to them because I like having tangible evidence that the Occupation did happen, and a reminder that war can radically alter what we believe is valuable and what is not.

Recharge Thyself

Some months ago, I was thinking about my upcoming birthday and decided that the best gift I could give myself is time off, some real time off. So today I'm embarking on Day One of Vince's Totally Unstructured Vacation.

The last time I took vacation off, I had myself running from place to place. I had slated an activity for every morning, afternoon and evening. Oh, it was great fun to be sure.

But I also miss the long-ago days when we were kids and had nothing to do on summer vacation except whatever we came up with that day. That's sort of what I'm aiming for now over the next couple of weeks. I have hope that in the process I'll re-discover a nearly forgotten passion and discover a new joy. But definitely I'm calling for some "recharge thyself" time at this point in 2007.

So this time, there's no big fancy airplane trips to a faraway land, no cruise, nor several nights at the Ritz-Carlton lined up. If nothing else, I think my financial health will thank me in the long run!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pet the dog, then do . . . whatever. . . .

do (run) while (date < 20071126)

November 19 through 25

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOTAL
7 mi	5 mi		5 mi	11 mi		5 mi	33 mi

Shortchanged

"My momma always said, running is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

Well, Tom Hanks never said that in Forrest Gump, but I will. I've been trying to stay on track with my mileage buildup for Marathon Sunday using a "SmartCoach" schedule from the Runner's World website. Each week includes a long run that folks usually fit in on the weekend.

This week's long run was written in as 16 miles. Normally, I put in a rest day (meaning no running) before and a rest day after the long run day. Well, Saturday's and Sunday's weather forecasts both show as being rainy with temperatures in the 40s Fahrenheit -- not pleasant as far as I was concerned. So instead of taking the rest day today and running Saturday, I decided to "go long" today, the day after the Turkey Dash. At mile 11, my legs left as heavy as lead and I decided that my heart wasn't in it, so I decided to return home.

I hate the thought of shortchanging a long run, but at least I got one in. If I didn't run today, the coming cold rain would likely have caused me to miss it completely.

It's just over eight weeks until Marathon Sunday . . . not that I'm paying close attention to this or anything like that.

Katy YMCA Turkey Dash

In the past couple of years, I've run the TXU Energy Turkey Trot in uptown Houston on Thanksgiving morning. The 2005 event was actually my first 10K.

This year I decided to run a 5K being held at the YMCA out in Katy. A cold front blew through the Houston area last night and the projected morning temperature was supposed to be in the upper 40s Fahrenheit. So the original plan was to wear a short-sleeved shirt and shorts. However, it turned out that the temps were in the lower 40s, so I kept my long-sleeved shirt on (over my short-sleeved shirt) and re-pinned my number to it.

After a short warmup and settling in behind the starting line, the race organizers announced that the race start was being moved 30 minutes later because the walk-up registration was so heavy. That was annoying, but I had enough time to fit in a few more minutes of warmup jogging and a trip to the men's room inside the Y as well.

Mile 1: 8:22
Finally the horn sounds and the pack took off running south on Peek Road. Even with the "heavy" turnout, it still looked like less than a thousand people, so there wasn't an excessive amount of "walker dodging." I saw a "1 mile" marker on the road and punched the Lap button on my Forerunner. It said "5:50"; I said "No way!" It turns out that this marker was the turnaround point for the Kids 1-mile course. Oops! A couple minutes later, I found the correct 1-mile marker and punched the button again.

Mile 2: 9:12
After the 30 minute delay (letting the sun rise some more) and then running hard for a mile, my upper body was feeling uncomfortably warm. I took off my long-sleeved top and tied it around my waist. As I was approaching the turnaround point, I could feel my throat starting to go dry. Maybe I shouldn't have bypassed the water stop. As we made the U-turn to head back north, I started getting a nauseous feeling on the right side of my body. I had to hold back a little or risk trotting out this morning's oatmeal.

Mile 3: 9:03
Last .1: 0:52
The nauseous feeling stayed with me until we had a half-mile to go. When I returned to the YMCA and saw the clock, I knew I had a new personal record. (Previous PR: 28:53 at this year's Fired Up 5K) It was a pretty good early birthday gift to myself, in my opinion.

I also think that the marathon training schedule, which has been pushing me to 30-or-more miles a week, has had some nice side effects!

I also thought it was amusing that the goodie-bag for registrants included a package of turkey stuffing!

Event: Katy YMCA Turkey Dash
Location: Katy YMCA, Katy TX
Garmin Forerunner 101 says: 27:30
Gun Time: 27:54.9 (chip detection mat only at finish line)
Place: 290/603 overall, 17/30 in M30-34 age group
Benefits: YMCA Partners Campaign

do (run) while (date < 20071119)

November 12 through 18

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOTAL
		6 mi	7 mi		20 mi		33 mi

Call me "dub"

This marathon training thing is getting serious now. This morning I logged 20 miles. I was doing a lot of hating by the end of it, but it's overwith and "on the books."

I celebrated immediately afterward at Sonic Jog-In (where else?) with a SuperSonic cheeseburger, Sonic Size fries and a Route 44 cherry limeade. Yummy!

do (run) while (date < 20071112)

November 5 through 11

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOTAL
4 mi		8 mi	6 mi			13 mi	31 mi

San Antonio Half Marathon

My first year of this "running thing" culminated with the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in January 2006 (2:42:04). It was rough, but I did not perish, so I came back and ran that race again this past January (2:27:30). This coming January, I'm going to up the insanity level by attempting the full 26.2 miles of the Chevron Houston Marathon. During my training, I wanted to insert at least one other race as a "tune-up." So I wound up choosing San Antonio for my third half marathon, and it would be the first time I've tried mixing traveling and racing together.

The starting line of the race is in Alamo Plaza near the front of the iconic building which houses the shrine to the sacrifices for Texan independence. I settle myself into the corral directly in front of the 4:45 marathon pace group. It's not an overwhelming crowd for Marathon Sunday in a big city; it looks like no more than about 4,000 runners between the full and half courses. The race was started by 19th century re-enactors firing into the air with what appeared to be flintrock rifles. As I crossed the starting mat and got underway, the one thought that rolled around in my head was, "Do not get get sucked into going out too fast." So off I went, striding at what I thought was a conservative pace.


Mile 01: 10:08
Unlike my experiences in Houston, the small field of runners meant that I wasn't expending energy negotiating a crowd in the first couple of miles; I was mostly free to settle into my own pace. As approached the one mile marker, I looked at my Garmin. I wasn't running as conservatively as I had imagined. "What the heck are you doing?," I berated myself. "This isn't a 10K! You're going to regret this later!"

Mile 02: 10:12
I deliberately tried to retard my pace but didn't really succeed much. On the second mile, the route goes by a business called "Hashers' Supply." (Only runners might know why that could be funny.)

Mile 03: 9:55
Mile 04: 9:47
After rising slightly in a northerly direction away from downtown, the course began to return back to the south. This began several miles of declining slope. In mile 4 I was afforded one of the most inspiring race vistas I've seen in my short running career -- hundreds and hundreds of runners with me flowing downhill across all four lanes of North St. Mary's Street into downtown San Antonio, like water over a pebbled stream bed.

I have a handheld Amphipod bottle that I've been carrying with me on my long runs lately. Laden with Gatorade, I was running with it today, and it let me pass up nearly every aid station on the course without having to slow or break pace. I was particularly thankful for this at the mile 4 marker. Between the water stop and long lines for the porta-potties, the entre width of West Houston Street was full of either standing or walking runners. Ironically, the sidewalk was clear, so I hopped the curb and barreled through.

Mile 05: 9:32
Mile 06: 9:55
Mile 07: 9:46
Mile 08: 9:42
Still aided by the slope, I steamrolled my way past the Greek Revival and Victorian-style homes of the King Williams Historic District. After the 6-mile marker, I looked at my Garmin again, contemplating how my in-race progress compared to my standing 10K race PR. I shook my head and moved on.

At around mile 7 I noticed someone running the race in full firefighter gear -- helmet, mask, firesuit, and oxygen tank!

Mile 09: 10:20
A few miles down Mission Road, the half-marathon course U-turns back towards the north. Now the slopes were reversed. It's a good thing the photographers were set up prior to this point, because now I was in for a fight and it wasn't going to be pretty!

Mile 10: 10:09
Mile 11: 10:28
Heading up South St. Mary's Street in miles 10 and 11, I mentally latched onto a lady runner with a dark ponytail and a Nathan hydration belt riding on her hips. Let's just say that following the bouncing bottles kept me on pace and was a welcome distraction from my tiring legs coming into the final 5K stretch.

At mile 11 I also had a little fun with the crowd: "Has anyone seen a stadium around here?" I yelled. The folks on the sidewalk pointed in the general direction of downtown and answered back, "Over there!"

Mile 12: 10:27
Approaching downtown, there's definitely discomfort at this point. I'm sure my expression wasn't pleasant, but I knew that if I could hold on I had a chance to do something special today. At one point, thoughts of walking were creeping in. I swept them aside, telling myself, "Yes, there are days when you need to walk. This is not one of them."

Mile 13: 10:51
I clung to my running cadence as I turned down Durango Street. After emerging from under the IH-37 overpass, I made my final turn. There's nothing quite like the sensation of just knowing the finish line of a race is just ahead. It's a heightened state of awareness that must be similar to what a predator experiences when its prey is in reach. Out of the sunshine, I plunged down a dimly lit ramp. Still barreling ahead at full speed, I darted under the finish clock and onto the floor of the Alamodome, fists in the air.

The poor announcer at the finish line stumbled over my name three times before giving up. I was so thrilled, I didn't care one bit!
Gun Time: 2:16:46
Chip Time: 2:13:35 (new half marathon PR)

Wow, what a ride!

do (run) while (date < 20071105)

October 29 through November 4:

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOTAL
6 mi		7 mi			11 mi	xt1	24 mi

xt1 = 28 mile bike race
Looks like 127 miles run in the month of October

Tour de Donut

I ride my bike sometimes for cross-training purposes or just for fun, but prior to this morning, I had never rode in an organized cycling event or race. But when I found out this event was coming up I decided to give it a try.

I managed to look like a newbie right away. Unlike almost everyone else that showed up, I arrived with my number pinned to the front of my shirt. I suppose cyclists are very proud of their gluteus muscles and want to give everyone an excuse to look around that area. ;)

The start/finish area was the mall parking lot in front of the Sun and Ski Sports store. With the amount of cars parked in the area, you would have guessed that single store was having an after-Thanksgiving sale or something! What really surprised me was how long it took to get started. Being a newbie, I lined up in the back, just like I did when I started running road races. After the starting horn blew, it took SEVENTEEN MINUTES for me to reach the starting line. While we were standing and waiting, a kid on a mountain bike to my right suddenly lost his front tire with a loud "BANG" -- I guess it was overinflated just a little! Luckily, his dad was able to bring the bike right into the store for immediate repair. Finally, I rolled across the starting mats with the timing chip on my left ankle down low. I heard the reassuring "BEEP," started my Garmin, then joined the stream of cyclists on their way out of the parking lot.

Mile 01: 11.1 mph
Mile 02: 11.6 mph
Mile 03: 14.8 mph
The first few miles were very congested. The shoulder of the road was narrow, there were a lot of slower cyclists, and it was difficult to find passing room.

Mile 04: 15.0 mph
Mile 05: 15.1 mph
Mile 06: 15.2 mph
Mile 07: 12.9 mph
Mile 08: 13.8 mph
Mile 09: 13.3 mph
Mile 10: 15.4 mph
After making the turn onto FM1093, the crowd loosened up a little more. There was still quite a bit of effort expended in passing people, though.

Mile 11: 4.4 mph
This mile looks slow because it includes the first rest stop: Riders pulled over in the parking lot of a BBQ restaurant in the small town of Fulshear. I took one look at the thirty-deep line for the port-a-potties and decided that I should have no trouble putting off bladder business until after the race.

The "gimmick" to this race is that the rest stops would be well stocked with donuts. Every donut taken would subtract five minutes off of a rider's finishing time. I walked over to the donut table, took three Shipley's glazed and a volunteer drew three marks on the pull tag at the bottom of my race number bib. After downing the first donuts with no trouble, I returned to the table for three more. Then it was back on the road. I was one hour into my ride at this point.

Mile 12: 14.0 mph
Mile 13: 15.3 mph
Mile 14: 15.4 mph
Mile 15: 14.7 mph
Mile 16: 16.6 mph
Mile 17: 14.7 mph
Mile 18: 13.9 mph
Heading north on FM359 back towards the Interstate, I had fairly good passing room and used it a lot.

Mile 19: 6.1 mph
Arriving in Brookshire, I was presented with the second and final rest stop. I scored two more donuts, then made the decision that I had gotten my fill for the day. After washing down the last donut with Gatorade (The salty formulation was especially important today!) from my bike bottle I returned to the road. I was an hour and a half into my ride.

Mile 20: 17.7 mph
Mile 21: 19.0 mph
Mile 22: 19.5 mph
Mile 23: 17.7 mph
Mile 24: 16.3 mph
Mile 25: 17.8 mph
Mile 26: 18.5 mph
Mile 27: 17.4 mph
Mile 28: 17.2 mph
Now heading east on Highway 90 through Brookshire back towards the mall, I had a wide shoulder to work with and I was feeling flush with energy. "It's time to deliver," I said to my legs. I started cranking the bike hard. I was passing obviously-tiring cyclists at will, dozens of them.

At one point, I was rapidly approaching a group that was riding three abreast on the shoulder. There was car traffic in the right lane of the highway, so passing on the left wasn't a viable option. So I yelled out "ON YOUR RIGHT," rolled my Schwinn Suburban Sport onto the grassy shoulder next to the road and passed them. I heard one of the ladies mutter "Oh. My. God." as I went by. The only thing that slowed me down on this last section was climbing the overpass that would take me to the other side of the freeway.

According to my Garmin Forerunner, I crossed the finish line about two hours and seven minutes after I started. I had a blast and would definitely consider doing this race again. But next time, I won't start at the back!

Event: Tour de Donut
Location: Katy Mills Mall, Katy TX (and the towns of Fulshear and Brookshire)
Gun Time: 2:25:07
Chip Time: 2:07:10
Overall Placing (bike only): 127 out of 329
Gender Placing (bike only): 95th male out of 196
Overall Placing (donut-adjusted): 53
Benefits: Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana

48 hours 'til it's time to eat the donuts!

With the Tour de Donut coming Sunday, I used this "rest" day in my schedule to liberally apply spray lube to my Schwinn Suburban Sport and go for a short 20 minute ride to make sure everything is "mechanically sane."

All systems appear to be "go" for now!