Man Bra???

I was heading home on the Mount Vernon Trail today when I say what I thought was a rather unattractive woman running toward me. This individual's hair was cut like a man would cut it and had a rather masculine build. However, this individual was wearing what appeared to be a woman's running top. It looked something like this

As I passed the individual I realized it was a man with rather large man boobs, hence the need for a the top. However, he was out exercising and I do applaud that. The choice of running attaire was just rather strange.

I saw a doctor last week and there was no real damage to my knee. I merely had bruised the the side of it, but nothing was torn or seriously injuried. I took last week. However, Wednesday I was back out running. I ran Wednesday and Friday. Today I got in about 22 miles on the bike. I keep it easy just work myself back into it. I have not biked in over 3 weeks, so I did not want to over do it. This is what I look like after a bug splattered ride

I am on another new project at work. Due to additional funding issues, I have had to move to another project. This one is not as exciting to me as the previous couple. However, it is very high profile and rather interesting. Some of my loyal readers have wondered what I actually look like in work clothes. Here is a picture of me dressed for work as I was talking to my team.

Ouch that Hurts

Wow!!!! Where has the time gone? These last three weeks have just been crazy. Time has been a precious commodity. At work, I was finally getting in the groove on my new project….and here came the rain. First, we had something like 8 inches of rain in 36 hours, which caused me to stay up all night stemming the tide in the basement. Actually, it was a good challenge and I must say that I did one hell of job keeping the water confined to a very small area. No major damage was done other than I ruined a couple of towels.

On Thursday of last week, I receive a call from one of the Partners. The new project I am on is having funding issues. This is nothing new as this is the same client I have been supporting for the last 6 months and I am well aware of the half-assed way they go about funding their projects. However, there is a very high profile project that I am needed or wanted on. It is always nice to be wanted, but I liked it where I was. LOL So I close up shop at one office and start to move my stuff to my new location. As I was walking down the stairs with a box—boom I feel and my knee is a little sore. Damn, Columbia is Sunday and I think I bruised my knee.
In addition to all the changes at work, I am taking command of a Civil Affair Company in two weeks. I haven’t started the hard work yet, but laying the ground work. You would be surprised on much trouble it can be just sending out invitations.

On Saturday, my knee was feeling better, so I did packet pickup and bike turn in. We also went to Wine in the Woods. You know how wife’s love dates. Especially when they do not consider a triathlon a date.

I arrived at the park and set up my transition area. I puttered around and talked with some friends and then I went over to the Club Tent and Bus’s for a while. I watched the pros go off at 6:45 and then I got on my wetsuit. I was in the water about 10 minutes prior to start and it was effing cold. I swam around to warm up and chatted with some of the other swimmers.
At 7:15, the horn sounded and true combat swimming was on. Men 35-39 was the biggest wave of the race and it was pretty violent. I was actually having fun working around people and trying to get way. It was a little game that took my mind off the cold. Then all of a sudden I took a foot right in my sore knee. I tried to swim a little further and then I just swam for shallow water and removed myself from the race.

Having torn a rotator cuff and banged up my knee in the past, I don’t play with either shoulders or knees. I would rather be safe than sorry. Triathlon is not my living, nor do I have to participate to keep myself alive. I told the marshal I was out of the race and then I turned in my chip. I limped back to the tent and then back into transition to get some dry clothes.

When given lemons—make lemonade. I took out my camera and I was able to get some good pictures of the triathletes near the bike-in and bike-out areas. I have a couple of really good photos of Chris McCormack finishing the bike, however I can't get them to upload. I will post those later.

Battle of the Boulevard 10K

This morning was the Battle of the Boulevard 10K sponsored by my favorite running store, Pacers. The race was in the Clarenton section of Arlington County in VA. The race starts at on the high ground and you run down Wilson Blvd, to highway 110, by Arlington Cemetary and the turn around is near the Pentagon. It is a very challenging and fun course. This was my last hard run prior to Columbia, next weekend.

We have been having lots of rain here in the DC area. Thursday night and Friday we had over 4 inches and this morning it was still drizzling. I got up around 7 (the race did not start until 9, how nice is that), ate some cereal and dreaded running the rain. I got to the start about 830, hooked up with my running partner Janelle and we both received our chips.

A little after 9 the gun went off and it was down the hill. I stayed with her for a about the first half mile and then we were seperated. Since it was cool and rainy it took me a while to get settled and warmed up. The first mile was 7:54.

The second mile is down a half mile hill which is rather step. I cruised down that hill, maintaining a decent pace, but I did not want to run too fast and wear myself out. There were a fair amount of spectators out in the rain they were very vocal and brought some good energy. I did see one lady arguing with the cops who would not let her turn where she wanted to due to the race. Its not like there were not plenty of signs posted warming people of the race. I reached the second mile in 7:44.

The third and fourth miles were all on route 110 near Arlington Cemetary, with the turn around near the entrace to North Parking at the Pentagon. The only thing worth noting during this part of the course was I was about about mile 2.5 and here come the leaders. They passed me at about the 18 minute mark. Time for miles 3 and 4: 8:29 and 9:01.

From mile four to mile five it was back up the big ass hill. I just tried to plod along. Near the top of the hill, I decided to walk for 30 seconds in order to rest my legs so that I could pick up the pace on the flat ground. Hell, I knew i wasn't running much faster than I could walk anyway. Mile 5 was by far my slowest mile at at 9:58.

The final hill is between mile 5 and mile 6. This is not a long hill but rather short and step. I actually cruised up it easier than I thought I would after listening to others bitch about it. I know I was slowing down, but I was on pace to run about 54 min 10K. Mile 6: 9:10. I did the final .2 (or as my Garmin told me .3) in 1:48.

All in all I was very happy with the results. My last 5 miler back in Dec I ran over 9 min miles on a pretty easy course. Today based on Garmin results I ran 6.3 miles in 54:08 or a 8:36 ppm average.

To give you an idea of the course here is my elevation read out.

A quick update

Where have the last couple of weeks gone? Things on the world of the Lazy Triathlete have been nuts. After the wet n wild weekend of the Lake Anna Sprint, I was able to get in some decent runs and swims. However, the bike riding has been lacking.

I have been working to get a billable project at work. All of April, I was doing some training, proposals, and misc crap around the office. It was all the things that make a business work, but don’t make any money. So I was working my butt off doing all those fun things.

Then there I had attack of the ALLERGIES II. This time was not sniffling and sneezing and blowing my nose, it was serious pressure on the right side of my head. I took it easy for a couple of days trying to allow the body to heal itself. The body is an amazing organism. Give it the right rest and nutrients and you will get better.

As I stated my workouts have not been that numerous. In the past 2.5 weeks, I have only swam 8700 yards, biked 23 miles and run 27.5. Can we say that Columbia is going to suck next weekend?

On the positive front—I don’t have to go to UT for work. I am a great project now, which utilizes my experience in the Army, my work with my company, and the rest of my charm and good looks. I was also selected to command a company this past weekend. The new Commander of the 354th Civil Affairs BDE is a great guy and he asked me to be his HHC Commander. I am pumped up the opportunity.

Let me get back to work, but I felt I needed to conduct some kind of update.